Team Holby
by perpetualpathology
Summary: After discovering the lack of teamwork between - and on - Keller and Darwin, Guy decides to take Jac, Jonny, Mo, Adele, Sacha, Zosia, Dom, Arthur and Colette on a team building holiday whilst the wards are refurbished. But what will they get up to? And will new alliances be formed? Or will existing ones be broken?
1. Chapter 1

**I'm sorry I haven't uploaded anything for a while but my A-Levels are driving me to the point of insanity! In this story, Jac and Jonny don't have Emma and Zosia is not Bipolar. (Also, my writing might be a little bit rusty so sorry if this is complete and utter rubbish!). I've been speaking to my friend JacNaylor2014 and she received some PMs and reviews about getting someone to carry on her story called 'Team Holby'. But, it was published quite a while ago so she's allowed me to write a new story, which is a similar plot in general, but will have different ideas in, and I'll start it from the beginning. Hope you like it and it's up to your standards JacNaylor2014 ;)**

* * *

**Wednesday 1st October 2014**

"This is ridiculous. I'm due in theatre in twenty minutes." Jac complained as she, amongst eight of her colleagues waited in the small corridor outside of the CEO's office after they had all been summoned for a 'brief meeting'.

"Elliot can cover for you until you get back." Jonny replied calmly as he leant against the wall. No one was entirely sure one the status of the pair's relationship but Jonny was one hundred percent that they had a strong physical one. Ever since the auburn haired consultant had been diagnosed with endometriosis earlier in the year, he had been there for her for support and he was sure they were slowly getting closer to each other.

"That's not the point." She replied and her protestations caused Jonny, Mo, Adele and Sacha to exchange a bemused smile at her impatience.

"So, what've you done to upset Daddy now?" Dom asked mockingly as he also waited in the corridor. It seemed the majority of the skeleton staff from Keller and Darwin were there but no one knew what the purpose of the meeting was going to be.

"As far as I'm aware, I have nothing to do with it." Zosia huffed as she leant against the wall with her arms folded across her chest and her head hung between her shoulders. Dom looked at her sympathetically because he knew that she was still upset after her partner, Jesse Law, had left the previous week and despite all his efforts to cheer her up, nothing had worked. "I know someone who thinks _everything _is my fault though." She half quipped, half sighed.

"Zosia, Jesse isn't worth getting upset about." Arthur stated exasperatedly.

"Try telling Guy that." Colette scoffed which caused the junior doctors to frown at her in confusion. "Jesse came clean to your Dad last week about you two being together just before he left and in response, your Dad punched Jesse in the face." She explained.

"But–" Zosia tried to demand why she hadn't been told that earlier but the wooden door opened to reveal Guy Self standing with a smug smile on his face.

"Ladies and gentlemen, in you come please. This won't take long." He announced and so everyone made their way into the office and formed a small crowd in front of his desk. "Right, as you all know, Darwin and Keller are being refurbished next month and I previously told you that you would all be working on different wards for a fortnight until they are finished. However, I have now come up with an alternative solution which I think will be the best option for the hospital. All ten of us are going to go on a team building holiday for two weeks." He smiled. "That wasn't quite the reaction I was expecting." He concluded as he saw most people in the room looked sceptical whilst both his daughter and Jac Naylor looked just as disgusted as each other.

"Where?" Colette asked curiously.

"Ooh, somewhere tropical?" Adele asked happily at the prospect of a well-earned holiday.

"Not quite, no. Somewhere a bit closer to home but still out of the country." Guy replied.

"Oh no." Jac groaned.

"Scotland?" Jonny grinned.

"Indeed Nurse Maconie, Scotland." Guy confirmed. "Given the recent departure of a staff member," he began as he glanced at Zosia, "and from what I've gathered in general, there isn't a brilliant team atmosphere between – and on – Keller and Darwin. And from my vast experience of working in competitive hospitals, I know that when there is a better atmosphere, patients experience better care and complain far less. So, we're all going to Scotland on a bit of a holiday for two weeks." Guy stated. "Now, I'm not completely unreasonable so if anyone wishes to opt out of this holiday there is another option: you must work on maternity for the fortnight because that ward is forever understaffed. Is there anyone here who would prefer that…? No, didn't think so." Guy concluded. "Well then, I shall email you all further details but for now you can go."

There was quiet chatter and gossiping as the group left the room but Guy appeared stumped when he realised Colette remained in the room.

"Colette, how can I help you?" He asked confusedly.

"Is this just because Jesse left?" She asked.

"No, of course not. Look, I need a strong team if I want to run a hospital of excellence." Guy stated. "Jesse is not going to be a part of that; he was a loose cannon and this hospital is far better off without him."

"Y'know Zosia is heartbroken Guy. I know you're angry with her for seeing him behind your back but she needs you. She won't admit it but she really does."

"Colette, I hardly think that you're someone who can give me parenting advice given the fact that you haven't got kids yourself." Guy protested.

"What? So you think Zosia's fine, do you?" Colette argued.

* * *

"What's for dinner? I'm starving." Dom exclaimed as the three junior doctors arrived in their flat as they returned home after a long day at work.

"How can someone just disappear off of the face of the Earth?" Zosia asked sadly. "I've checked his flat, I've tried ringing him, texting him, emailing him…"

"Zosia, I know this isn't what you want to hear but I think it's obvious that Jesse is ignoring you and doesn't want anything more to do with you." Arthur stated insensitively. "Just forget about him and move on." He added but Zosia simply dumped her bag on the sofa, walked through to her bedroom and slammed the door behind her.

"Well done Diggers." Dom said sarcastically as he picked up the landline phone.

"What're you doing?" Arthur asked confusedly.

"She's upset." Dom stated but he could tell from the look on his flatmate's face that he was still bewildered and required further explanation. "She needs a takeaway, a bottle of red wine and chocolate. But not necessarily in that order." He quipped as he dialled the number for the local Chinese takeaway.

* * *

"Guy's emailed us about that stupid holiday." Jac informed the Scotsman as she sat on the sofa in the open plan living room whilst he stood just a few meters away from her in the kitchen preparing their dinner in her flat.

"Yeah? What did he say?" Jonny asked happily; he was certainly far more excited and enthusiastic about the trip compared to her.

"He reckons we're spending nine or ten hours in a minibus and he's going to drive us all the way to Inverness." She scoffed.

"Well how else are we gonna get up there?" Jonny laughed.

"By train." Jac replied in a tone that it was an obvious solution.

"How're you gonna get the train from Holby to Inverness?" Jonny protested.

"One train to London and then the sleeper train straight to Inverness." Jac stated. "I am not going in a minibus."

"I suppose you'll need someone to keep you company, won't you?" He smiled as he put a dish in the preheated oven.

"Mm. I'll pay for your ticket if you promise that you won't take a kilt with you." She quipped.

"Deal." Jonny nodded. "Now, we've got about half an hour until dinner is done. So…" Jonny grinned as he took her iPad off of her, placed it on the table and then he simultaneously sat down and pressed his lips against hers.

"Do you ever thing about anything else?" Jac whispered as they pulled apart yet they kept their faces so close that their foreheads' were almost touching as they looked into each other's eyes.

"Well, I doubt we're going to have the required privacy in Scotland with eight of our colleagues being there." He quipped before he gently pushed her backwards so that she was lying on her back and he hovered above her. "Plus, I never hear you complaining afterwards." He quipped. "One sexual fireworks show coming up." He whispered seductively before they made love to each other.

* * *

Guy sat in his study on his laptop as he tried to finalise the last few details of the trip to Scotland that he was organising. He had booked various activities, though he didn't plan to tell anyone about them until they were actually in Scotland. An old friend of Guy's, who was also one of the hospital's funders, was providing the money for the trip because unlike many of the sponsors, he understood how it felt to work day in day out and he appreciated the strain the NHS workers were under.

Yet, as Guy sat with the world at his fingertips, he couldn't help but think about what Colette had said to him; he couldn't deny that Zosia wasn't of sound mind after Jesse's departure. And that's why he was determined to use the trip to get closer to his daughter again. Not only would they not have the worry of work to interfere but they would also have no option but to be near each other rather than stay on different floors of the hospital. As much as the thought of Zosia being manipulated – and that's how he saw it because she was far younger and more vulnerable than she made out – by Jesse angered him, he knew that the majority of hi wrath was aimed at the anaesthetist and not his little girl.

Finally, as it approached midnight, Guy had finished organising the trip so he closed his laptop and headed to bed. He just had to hope that the holiday would build new alliances and make existing ones stronger rather than create any further problems…


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry for the late update but I've been out all day today, hope you enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think :)**

* * *

**Friday 31st October 2014, 9:20pm**

"I still can't believe that we're missing the Halloween party at Albi's." Jonny exclaimed disappointedly as he and Jac settled into their cabin on the Caledonian Sleeper Train which would take them to Inverness. They had just switched platforms after getting a train to London Euston from Holby which they had gotten almost immediately after they had finished their shifts. In the small room was a bunk bed, a sink, a small counter and a window out into the darkness of the station – they weren't due to depart for another quarter of an hour.

"Well I didn't make you come with me." Jac stated bluntly as she sat down on the bottom bunk, removed her hair band and allowed her long, straight, auburn hair to cascade over her shoulders. "Besides, if we were going in the minibus with the others then we'd have to be at the hospital by 6am tomorrow and you'd still be hung over. Then you'd have to spend the whole day in the minibus."

"Yeah, I suppose this is better." Jonny shrugged. "Though, just because I'm not at a part doesn't mean I can't dress up." He grinned as he reached into his pocket and took out a pair of red devil's horns. "There's more." He added as he put them on his head, then flicked a switch to reveal that they in fact flashed red too. "And just because I'm not drunk, doesn't mean we can't–"

"Don't even think about it." Jac interrupted as she began to sort through her bag.

"Why? Are you okay?"

"It's just been a busy week." Jac sighed. "Plus I had to single-handedly perform a pulmonary endarterectomy so my hands are killing me."

"Okay. Well, we can just get comfy and hit the sack tonight if you want." Jonny smiled sympathetically as he sat down beside her and took her sore hands in both of his.

"This bed is tiny and you fidget like there's no tomorrow so you're on the top bunk; I'm not sharing with you." Jac stated bluntly as she pulled her hands back into her lap.

"Fine. Jonny huffed as he got to his feet. "But just so you know, no matter how knackered you are, you look gorgeous."

"Nice try. Go to bed." Jac ordered and Jonny smirked like a naughty schoolchild before he climbed up the short ladder to the top bunk and he slipped into a deep, well-earned sleep.

* * *

**Saturday 1st November 2014, 5:45am**

"Does Zosia still get travel sick?" Colette asked curiously as she and Guy waited for the other six to arrive in the hospital car park whilst they sat down in the doorway of the rented minibus. They were leaving early and would arrive in Inverness by late afternoon whilst Jac – who had refused to go by minibus – and Jonny were going to arrive midmorning because of train times and would have some time to kill.

"I presume so. Admittedly, I had forgotten about that when I was choosing a location." He replied as a small sky blue Ford Fiesta arrived with the three junior doctors in it. "She's usually better if she sits in the front and she can see where we're going so I'm going to try and get her to sit up front with us." He added as they both stood up to greet Arthur, Dom and Zosia who arrived with hiking bags.

"Rough night?" Colette queried as she noticed that both Dom and Zosia were wearing sunglasses despite it being rather dark with only the street lights illuminating the car park.

"This is precautionary, I don't think it's fully hit my system yet; we only got home an hour ago." Dom croaked as he slowly got onto the minibus and went and sat at the back. Arthur then followed but before Zosia could get on, Guy stepped in her way.

"I think it's best you sit in the front, don't you?" He suggested sternly.

"Please don't." Zosia protested quietly.

"Don't what?" Colette asked confusedly.

"They don't know and that's how it's going to stay." She snapped in a hushed voice.

"Zosia, travel sickness isn't something to be embarrassed about." Guy said softly. "Come on, if you sit in the back and you throw up, Dr Digby and Dr Copeland are going to find out. You might as well just sit in the front with us." He pleaded. "I've got plenty of those ginger mints your mother used to give you that help with the nausea."

"I didn't think you could get them in the UK." Zosia frowned.

"You can't, I got your aunt to send some over for you." Guy smiled. "Come on. You can leave your bag in the back." Guy lifted Zosia's heavy bag into the minibus and he put it in the far corner before he opened the front passenger door for his daughter to climb in to the middle of the three seats and he left the door open whilst they waited for Sacha and the Effanga sisters to arrive.

* * *

**8:40am**

"Right, we've got about 8 hours to kill." Jonny announced as he and Jac arrived outside Inverness train station, both with their heavy hiking bags on their backs.

"I knew it." Jac exclaimed.

"What?"

"You said I shouldn't believe stereotypes about Scotland yet it's freezing cold just like the 'stereotype'." Jac stated.

"Well it is November _and _it's cold back in Holby too."

"Yeah well it's colder here." Jac huffed as she rubbed the sides of her arms.

"Why don't we find a café around here?" Jonny suggested. "We'll find somewhere nice and have a cup of coffee to warm up and grab something for breakfast."

"As long as it's not haggis." Jac replied as she and Jonny began to walk in the same direction as the majority of the crowd.

"Are you gonna be like this for the next two weeks? Making racist remarks–"

"It's not being racist if I'm using facts. Is or is not, haggis a staple part of Scottish cuisine?" Jac asked.

"Well yeah but–"

"Point made." Jac concluded.

* * *

**12:30pm**

"Right, meet back here in about fifteen minutes." Guy ordered as he turned the minibus engine off. They had stopped for lunch at a motorway services and Zosia had fallen asleep sitting in the middle with her head tilted forward and her chin on her chest.

"She's never gonna live this down." Dom remarked quietly as he glanced at the junior doctor on his way out of the vehicle.

"Oi, leave her alone. You were sleeping for the first few hours." Adele stated bluntly as she, Mo and Arthur left and closed the door behind them before they headed for the building.

"The anti-sickness medication that she takes makes her drowsy." Guy said softly as he took her phone out of her limp hand and put it on the dashboard. "Plus I suppose being up all night partying has knackered her as well." He chuckled.

"She's gonna get a stiff neck like that." Colette smiled. "I'm gonna go in and get some lunch. Do you want me to get you and Zosh anything?"

"Yeah just get two sandwiches and a couple of bottles of water please. I'd better stay here just in case she wakes up."

* * *

**2pm**

"So what team building activities do you think we're going to do?" Jonny asked as he and Jac sat on the top floor of a Costa coffee where they were comfortably and warmly relaxing in the almost empty café.

"You honestly think_ I_ know of any team building activities?" Jac retorted.

"Okay. So there could be team sports like football or maybe something a bit more purposeful like a treasure hunt–"

"If Guy Self thinks that I'm taking part in a treasure hunt, he's got another thing coming."

"Be careful, you might get sent home early and be forced to work on maternity for the rest of the holiday." Jonny joked.

"Ugh." Jac grimaced at the thought. "Why anyone would ever aspire to work on a maternity ward, I'll never know."

"Mr T works there, and without him you'd have to manage on paracetamol and ibuprofen and we both know that that wouldn't be a pleasant experience." Jonny stated. "You did remember your painkillers didn't you?"

"You really think I'd forget when you'd made me a 'Kamping Kit list'?" Jac argued. "Which I promptly ignored." She added with a sarcastic smile.

"I've been camping plenty of times and if I didn't have a list, I'd always forget something." Jonny stated in his defence.

"By the way I've been meaning to ask, did you spell camping wrong on purpose or do you just not know any better? It's just I know some Scottish people are–"

"Don't you think that's enough racism for today?" Jonny protested. "And don't start quoting statistics about education in Scotland either." He added sternly.

* * *

**3:30pm**

The minibus containing eight medical professionals had arrived in Scotland, but after almost nine hours in a moving vehicle they were not yet in Inverness where they would be beginning their holiday. And despite not arriving at their destination yet, Zosia's nausea was beginning to become unbearable. She had slept for the first few hours but once she had woken up, she had been unable to get back to sleep.

"Dad, can we stop for some air please?" Zosia asked quietly.

"Yeah, sure. Do you want a bag?" Guy asked quickly. "There's some in the glove compartment." He stated but Zosia just gently shook her head in reply. Guy had just driven past a sign saying that the next services was almost 20 miles away and he didn't think Zosia would manage that long so he put the hazard lights on and pulled up on the hard shoulder.

"Why're we stopping?" Mo asked as she pulled her earphones out.

"I just need to stretch my legs. We'll get underway soon." Guy replied as he opened his car door and walked around to the safe side of the minibus by the grass verge. Colette climbed out of her side and then slowly, Zosia slid down onto her feet and then sat on the metal barrier. But unfortunately, her ghostly pallor hadn't gone unnoticed and Arthur and Dom jumped out from the back whilst Guy appeared to be checking the map and chatting to Colette to give the junior doctor some space.

"Zosh, you alright?" Dom asked. "Are you still hung over?" He smirked.

"Just leave it." Zosia muttered because talking was the last thing she wanted to do when she felt so terribly unwell. "Have you got any water?" She added quietly.

"Er, yeah. Arthur go and get her a bottle from the top of my bag." Dom ordered and so Arthur climbed back onto the minibus. "Zosh, you're not pregnant are you?" Dom asked quietly.

"No!" She protested exasperatedly.

"Sorry, it's just you look rather queasy."

"I've just spent 9 hours in a vehicle what do you expect?" She grumbled.

"We _all_ have." Dom stated confusedly. "Oh, do you get travel sick…? That makes a lot of sense because I thought I did something stupid last night and you were ignoring me." He smirked and Zosia couldn't help but smile. "I still can't remember much of what happened other than getting on the minibus this morning." He admitted.

"I know; Arthur was being sick in the toilet for about an hour and he called it a night after that." Zosia stated before she put the back of her hand over her mouth and closed her eyes.

"Why didn't you tell us you get travel sick?" Dom asked softly as he placed a soothing hand on her back.

"It's hardly something to brag about is it?" She mumbled as she kept her head hung between her shoulders.

"You're travel sick." Arthur announced with a tone of surprise as he stood with a bottle of water.

"Er guys, can we give her some space please. Go on; get back on the minibus we'll be leaving soon." Guy ordered as he took his attention off of the map after Zosia's declining complexion caught his eye.

"There you go." Arthur said quietly as he handed Zosia the drink before both he and Dom got onto the vehicle.

"Dad I need more time, if I get back on there I'm gonna be sick–"

" 's okay, we're not going anywhere for a while." Guy said softly as he placed a hand on her back. "We'll take as long as you want and it should only be another forty-five minutes to an hour in the minibus until we get there. Once we get to the campsite you can have a lie down for a while until you get better." He smiled as he sat down on the railing besides her.

"What're we even doing for the next fortnight anyway?" Zosia sighed as she took very small sips of the water.

"I'm going to explain that to everyone once we've got camp set up. I will tell you though that there will be one final challenge on the last day and it really will test how you all work together as a team." Guy stated.

So, what would the group of ten get up to during their time in Scotland? And would it actually improve the teamwork between them all, or would arguments arise and tension build?


	3. Chapter 3

**Saturday 1st November 2014, 4:30pm**

"Ladies and gentlemen, you are now on Scottish soil." Guy announced as the group piled out of the minibus and onto the grassy campsite with occasional water taps, toilet blocks and other tents dotted around but it wasn't very busy and they had a large area to themselves. "Ah, you made it up here alright." Guy smiled as Jac and Jonny arrived after they had gotten a taxi to the site and followed shortly behind the minibus on foot from the main entrance to where their pitch was. "How was the train?"

"Presumably a lot more luxurious than spending ten hours in a minibus." Jac quipped. "What's wrong with her?" She asked bluntly as she nodded to Zosia who had managed to avoid being physically sick but the junior doctor still felt truly awful as she leant against the side of the minibus holding her head in her hands.

"She's not feeling very well but she'll be alright in a while." Guy replied. "Anyway, when you're ready you can set your tents up. I'd like it if you put your tents in a circle around that fire pit there so that we can have a fire tonight." He added as he nodded to a dry dirt circle which had clearly been used for fire beforehand.

"Bloody hell. That's a bit bright even for your standards isn't it?" Jonny grinned as Adele revealed a leopard print tent that she had purchased, packed away neatly in a parcel because it had never been opened.

"What? Haven't you heard of Glamping?" Adele protested, at which Sacha frowned.

"It's some 'glamour camping' thing she keeps going on about." Mo explained as she went to assist her sister in putting up the tent that they were sharing.

"Wait, there ain't gonna be bears coming out of the woods at night are there?" Adele asked concernedly.

"Adele you do realize that despite the long journey, Scotland isn't like going abroad to America for example. In many ways, it's similar to England." Sacha stated as he got his dark blue, one man tent out and began assembling it.

"How dare you say that." Jonny protested jokily. "Scotland is _far_ better." He added.

"Yeah, you wish." Jac quipped.

* * *

"Zosia, how're you feeling?" Guy asked softly as he entered the four man tent which the junior doctors were sharing. Dom was lying on top of his sleeping bag with his headphones on flicking through his phone, Arthur was busy texting his girlfriend who was away at sea on another marine research trip whilst Zosia was curled up in her sleeping bag with her eyes closed.

"Why did you choose Scotland of all places?" Zosia complained. "Why not somewhere nearer?"

"Sorry darling, I forgot about your travel sickness when I started booking everything." Guy apologized. "Are you starting to feel better?"

"A bit." She mumbled.

"Right well, I want you three to come outside at 6pm – in about an hour – so that I can explain to everyone what's going to happen over the next two weeks." He stated.

"I could fill you in after if you want to stay here." Arthur offered whilst Dom took his headphones off after being nudged by his flatmate.

"No, I'll go." Zosia huffed before she picked her phone from under her pillow.

* * *

"I still can't believe that you brought your iPad with you so that you can do work." Jonny stated as they both sat in the roomy four man tent whilst Jac was busy typing up some notes and Jonny relaxed.

"I'm an efficient person, get over it." Jac shrugged without taking her eyes off of the screen.

"We've got to go out there in a minute for Guy's meeting." Jonny informed her.

"How delightful, we get to go out in the freezing cold." Jac said sarcastically as she reluctantly locked her tablet and then tucked a bit of hair that had come loose from her ponytail, behind her ear. The long day at work on Friday which was proceeded by a very long, tiresome journey meant that she longed for a decent shower to freshen up but she had not yet had the opportunity to do so.

"Do you want to wear this jumper?" Jonny offered as he pulled out a plain black hoodie out of his bag. "It keeps you really warm." He added. He was used to the cold and wasn't too fussed but Jac clearly felt the cold easily and he didn't want her suffering.

"Why have you got a women's' jumper?" Jac half laughed as she looked at the item of clothing.

"It's not women's." Jonny protested.

"Yeah it is." Jac scoffed. "Look, it goes in at the waist and if you look in the label… see? It's a size 12 for women." She stated bluntly.

"My granny got me that for my birthday." Jonny grumbled as Jac pulled it on over her head and then pulled her long ponytail over her shoulder. It was rather baggy on her, but she preferred looser clothing, plus the sleeves were long enough to cover her chilly hands.

"If it's any consolation, it must suit your feminine figure." She quipped as she got up and exited the tent to join the others.

* * *

The group of 10 had set up their 6 tents in a circle around the empty fire pit – the junior doctors had the biggest tent. Then it was Jac and Jonny's tent, then Adele and Mo's, then Sacha, Colette and Guy who each had their own small tent.

"I still can't believe you got all of this paid for by the trust." Colette exclaimed as she and Guy set up 10 folding chairs around the fire pit whilst everyone else was in their tent.

"Well, it wasn't so much through the trust; it was through one of Holby's financial friends." Guy stated. "And it wasn't out of the money he gave to the trust, I asked him personally and said about how it was for 10 incredibly hard working individuals and he just signed the cheque." He explained. "Right, out you come everyone. It's 6pm." Guy announced.

"Are we going to order a takeaway?" Adele asked eagerly as she climbed out of her leopard print tent, swiftly followed by Mo.

"Not quite Adele but you can do after if you want to." Guy stated and he waited another minute for everyone else to come out of their tent and sit down on one of the chairs, including his still recovering daughter before he sat down himself. "Right, what is going to happen on this trip, is each evening. I will tell you what the plan is for the next day. As I told you all before you came, you will be in charge of your own food and drink, and I think I'm being reasonable to allow you to consume alcohol, but I would like to make a point that I will not be sympathetic to anyone with a hangover the next morning, and I certainly don't want anyone drinking until the evening, _after_ we have done the day's activities. Understood? Good. Now then, tomorrow I want everyone packed up, tent included, and ready to go by 8am. I will then give you directions to the stables where you will meet an instructor whilst I take all of our kit, via minibus to the next campsite and I'll meet up with you as soon as I can." He explained.

"Stables? You mean horses?" Dom asked. "I can't, I'm allergic to horse hair" He protested quickly.

"Well you didn't put that on the health form that I gave everyone." Guy replied. "Don't worry, we'll have to sort something out tomorrow. But, I just thought you'd all enjoy a steady ride along the banks of Loch Ness for a day so we can acclimatise to being around each other outside of the hospital." He stated.

"I'm not riding a horse." Jac protested.

"Well if not, you can get the train back tonight and tomorrow morning you'll be working on maternity." Guy replied smugly.

"I've never ridden a horse in my life." Colette pointed out.

"Don't worry, I've been assured we'll have a tutorial before we set off, and we'll have instructors coming with us." Guy stated. "I know it's not exactly a team building activity but on Monday however, we will be doing a proper team building activity which I will reveal tomorrow night." He stated. "There is also one other thing I need to tell you: there will be a final challenge at the end of the holiday and it will really test your teamwork and your physical fitness. Are there any questions?" He asked.

"Are there prizes for the winning team?" Dom asked curiously.

"Yes, you might have noticed quite a lot of alcohol on the minibus, and each activity will have a winner or winning team. They'll get either a crate of beers or something similar." Guy explained. "Right, you are now free to do what you want for the evening. I don't know if you saw on the way here but there's a supermarket around the corner and I would imagine that there's some local takeaway menus in the office where we checked in."

* * *

"Right, what do you want to do for dinner?" Dom asked as he, Arthur and Zosia went back into their tent after the short meeting.

"Can we just give it half an hour or so please?" Zosia requested. She was feeling much better after being off of the minibus and on firm ground for almost 2 hours but she wasn't 100% herself just yet.

"Yeah sure. I mean, it's probably best we don't have a takeaway if you've been feeling sick all day so we'll have to go to the supermarket and get a bit of shopping." Dom replied. "Diggers, you wanna come with me and help me carry everything?" He asked.

"It's food for one night, how can you not carry that yourself?" Arthur protested.

"No, we'll get something for breakfast and lunch tomorrow as well, plus we need to get the drinks in." He added. "Come on, you're coming. No excuses. Plus I need to get some anti-allergy medicine thanks to your father's horse riding idea." He added as he grabbed Arthur by the arm, picked up his wallet and then the pair left Zosia in peace.

* * *

"Fancy seeing you here." Jonny smiled as he greeted Sacha and the Effanga sisters in the local supermarket. "I thought you girls were getting a takeaway." He frowned.

"We are, we've ordered a curry and we're going to pick it up on the way back but we're getting a few bits while we wait." Adele explained and Jonny raised his eyebrows as he saw they had a small trolley with various bottles of alcohol in it.

"The funny thing is, that's not even for the week, that'll last them a night or two." Sacha laughed.

"Says the man with a box of beers in his basket." Mo quipped. "I take it the Ice Queen's far too self-important to be seen doing the food shop." She added as she saw in Jonny's basket was a bag of readymade salad which she knew Jonny wasn't going to eat – Jac had obvious sent him on her behalf.

"Stop calling her that." Jonny moaned. "She's so different when you get to know her."

"Yeah well we both know how you got to know her." Adele retorted. "What? Come on everyone knows you two slept with each other the first time you met. And it was on a people skills course –"

"Adele!" Mo growled.

"Since when does _everyone_ know that? I only told Mo because she wouldn't stop pestering me about why I stayed overnight." Jonny argued.

"And _I_ only told _her_ because she wouldn't stop pestering _me_ about what the deal between you two was." Mo stated.

"And I only just found that out." Sacha chipped in with a smirk.

"Right can you not spread it around please? If Jac finds out she'll kill me." Jonny pleaded.

* * *

"Guy, I can't believe you." Colette stated as she looked over the itinerary sheet that he had allowed her to see whilst he packed the chairs away for the evening onto the minibus and she sat on the step in the wide doorway.

"What?"

"I know you forgot about Zosia's travel sickness but I think you've forgotten something else about your own daughter."

"What?" Guy frowned.

"She's scared of heights and we're booked to do rock climbing." Colette stated bluntly.

"Col, she was scared of heights when she was 10, I'm sure she's over it by now. Besides, I know my own daughter. That's the reason I booked the horse riding – she used to love horse riding when she was younger until she went to university so I'm sure she'll love tomorrow."

"Guy, Zosia can barely look out of a window on the hospital staircase without having to cling on to the railings." Colette stated.

"Well it's not just for her; there are 9 other people on this holiday. I'm sure she'll be fine." Guy stated. But when it would come to the rock climbing, he couldn't have been more wrong…


	4. Chapter 4

**Sunday 2nd November 2014, 6am**

Jonny had been camping many times in his youth and so sleeping with nothing but a thin foam sheet underneath him was nothing new and he had had a decent night's sleep. He and Jac had both unzipped their sleeping bags and laid them on top of themselves as they cuddled for warmth and he found that even more romantic than cuddling up in a double bed, but rather than having a lie in, he was woken by an alarm clock and opened his eyes to see Jac slide her finger across her phone to switch it off.

"What time is it?" He croaked.

"Six." She replied simply as she sat up.

"We don't need to be ready for another 2 hours." Jonny moaned.

"Well stay then, I'm going for a shower." She stated as she pulled down the hood of Jonny's jumper which she had worn in bed and smoothed her hair out before she grabbed a bag she had prepared the night before with clean clothes, shower gel, shampoo and conditioner.

"Am I allowed to slip in the shower with you?" He asked cheekily as he knew she was bound to be more cautious if they were in public showers with their colleagues present. "I am letting you borrow my jumper after all." He smiled sleepily. "And I went shopping for the both of us last night, and made your dinner."

"You'd better be quick Maconie, I'm going now." Jac ordered and he grinned as he quickly shot up from under the covers, sorted through his hiking bag until he found a towel, his toiletry bag and a fresh pair of clothes before the pair headed for the shower/toilet block.

* * *

"How're you feeling?" Guy asked as his daughter emerged from her tent with a small bag, presumably containing some toiletries to freshen herself up.

"Fine now, thanks." She replied briefly before she continued on her journey towards the toilets but Guy walked alongside her.

"Are you looking forward to the horse riding? I've been told you'll get to meet all the horses available in a field, and then you can chose which horse is yours for the day. You'll get to saddle 'em up as well, though I think most people will need to be taught about that."

"I did it for 6 years I think I know how to tack up a horse dad." Zosia retorted.

"Please don't be like this." Guy pleaded.

"Like what?" Zosia snapped as she arrived outside of the unisex toilets and stood with her spare hand on her hip.

"Stroppy and moody." Guy stated bluntly. "Please can we at least try to get on? I booked the horse riding for you. I was booking the team building activities in the local area when this popped up and you were the first thing that came into my head as soon as I saw it."

"Can I have a wash now?" She huffed.

"Sure." Guy nodded reluctantly and he watched her storm off into the toilets. He sincerely hoped that she enjoyed the day because then she would hopefully be a little kinder to him, but that didn't seem too likely given the foul mood she was always in with him.

* * *

_"You never seem to disappoint me, Ms Naylor." _ Both Mo and Adele were entering the building with a row of six shower cubicles and a series of long benches opposite them when they heard their friend's Scottish yet seductive voice and the pouring of water stopped.

"No. You don't think they're…?" Mo grimaced at the thought until her eyes fell upon the pile of men's clothes and the feminine bag on the bench outside of one of the cubicles. "Ugh, they're disgusting." Mo exclaimed quietly as she placed her towel on the bench.

"Shall we nick their clo–" Adele's whisper was interrupted as the door clicked open and Jonny stepped out with just a dark blue towel around his waist.

"You're looking a bit flushed there Jonny. You ought to turn that shower down, and not have it too hot." Mo grinned. The Scotsman jumped as he heard her voice, so much that he nearly dropped his towel but he quickly composed himself and picked up Jac's bag for her.

"It's one temperature only." He replied innocently as he passed the bag to his partner who closed her eyes in embarrassment as she stood with a towel wrapped around her frame too though the sisters couldn't see her because she remained within the cubicle. "By the way, be careful. We just found out how slippery the floor is." He winked as he picked up his clothes too before he went back into the cubicle and locked the door.

"You're such an idiot!" Jac whispered angrily.

"What? They know we're together." Jonny stated. "Besides, it could've been worse – it could've been Guy or Colette." He added.

* * *

**8:45am**

All ten members of the group had just had their tutorial about how they were going to ride a horse during the day using a 'walk' as opposed to accidently getting their horse to gallop across the field and out of sight. They had also been about how to put a saddle on a horse and get it ready to go out before they were then lead into a grass paddock where exactly ten horses where dotted around grazing in the relatively small field.

"Right, I want you to go to any horse you fancy, and use their bridle, to lead them over here where you can start to put their saddles on, under the watchful eye of me." The instructor ordered in a thick Scottish accent as she pointed to the row of saddles and equipment which had just been hung on the wooden fence besides her. "And use some common sense – I don't want the smallest lass here to get on the biggest horse." She added.

* * *

Once Guy was leading his Standardbred horse towards the saddles, he turned his head to watch his daughter as she gently stroked her chosen horse behind the ear. Out of the ten horses, most were Standardbreds in various shades of brown and black but there was one pure white horse with a straight, long, white mane that Zosia had taken a shine to.

"Just remember not to shout at the horse or you'll probably get a kick in the head." Jonny smirked as Jac grumpily walked over with her hands on the reign of her horse. She was obviously not happy about the day's method of transport but everyone else seemed happy to give it a go. "Wait, Jac I think you're forgetting something." Jonny said quickly as she picked up a saddle.

"What?" She huffed.

"You've got to put the blanket on its back first." He laughed as she was clearly irritated as he put the blanket on the horses back for her. "I feel so sorry for this horse." Jonny joked.

"Why? It's not as if she's heavy." Sacha frowned.

"No but can you imagine what she'd be like if she had a whip?" He grinned.

"Woah, Maconie. Keep what you two do in the bedroom to yourselves." Mo joked.

* * *

"Colette, look at her." Guy said quietly as he nodded over to Zosia who was grooming her horse's mane because she had already gotten her horse ready for the day in no time at all. They had Dom and Arthur in between then so they knew she wouldn't be able to hear them. "That's the first time I've seen her smile for a long time." He added as he watched her lovingly care for the horse.

"Maybe you should buy her her own horse for Christmas." Colette joked.

"Right ladies and gentlemen, once you're ready, you can come over here and we'll help you get up. Then you can try the techniques we taught you to get your horse to move forward." The instructor announced. She was almost next to Zosia but, Zosia being Zosia didn't want nor need any help so she put her foot in the stirrup and pulled herself up onto the horse's back. "You've done this before haven't you." The instructor concluded.

"Only for 6 years." Zosia replied sarcastically.

"That's a good job then really. You've got Maverick. And there's a reason we call her that." She quipped. "Just be careful, she has the tendency to ignore what she's told to do and she sometimes bucks if she picks up that the rider doesn't know what they're doing. She isn't usually used for tourist treks but we don't usually have large groups like yours so we had to bring her in."

"I think I can manage." Zosia replied adamantly as she got a firm grip on the reigns.

"You want to try walking to the edge of the field and back?" She suggested.

"Sure." Zosia nodded. She squeezed her legs together on the horse's back and went up to the fence and back without a hoof out of place.

"Show off!" Dom shouted – he had forgotten not to shout around the horses so some of them began to fidget or nervously move but because Maverick had Zosia on her back, she reared up with her front legs kicking in the air.

"Hold on!" The instructor ordered.

"Zosia!" Guy gasped worriedly. But seconds later, the horse returned its front hooves to the ground and Zosia could stop gripping the reigns so tightly.

"Remember not to shout around the horses please." The instructor said calmly as she went up to Zosia's horse and held its reigns to calm it. "Right, you can have my horse if you want." She offered.

"What? No, I'm fine here." Zosia protested. "As long as _someone _doesn't shout again, I'm fine and if she does do that again then I know to hold on." Zosia stated.

"If you're sure..."

"Zosia are you alright?" Guy asked concernedly as he walked over to her.

"I'm fine. It was his fault anyway." She smirked as she looked over at Dom who was receiving a telling off by the other instructor.

"Aside from just now, you look like you're enjoying it." He pointed out.

"I am." She admitted. "I forgot how much I enjoyed it." Zosia admitted.

"Was that a 'thank you for booking this for me, dad'?" Guy asked optimistically.

"I think you need hearing aids." She quipped – it was sarcasm of course but it was the first time the pair had laughed with each other in a long time. "Now go and get on your horse and stop bothering mine." She ordered as she knew it would soon get awkward between them.

"Alright, but well done on holding on then. You could've done some serious damage then – now I remember why I always used to get worried dropping you off at the stables." He concluded and Zosia just rolled her eyes before she moved along to prepare for the day of riding.

* * *

After the instructor announced they were going to take a break from their trek, everyone took a moment to take in the incredible scenery. They were just meters from the bank of Loch Ness and behind them was a forest with thousands of leaves in all shades of oranges and browns covering the ground because it was autumn.

"Need a hand?" Jonny asked as he stood next to Jac who was yet to get off of her horse. She had needed to use a box to get on the horse near the stables, because of her height, but they didn't have it with them so he put his arms up and helped her jump down to the ground.

"For the record, I am not that short I've just got a bloody tall horse." She protested.

"I know that's what you said earlier." He smirked before he pecked her on the lips.

"What was that for?" She frowned.

"Am I not allowed to kiss you whenever I want?" He grinned.

* * *

"I think she's got a crush on that horse." Dom stated as he sat on a rock to rest his legs whilst he, Arthur, Guy and Colette watched Zosia from afar as she ate an apple next to her horse that was drinking from the lake. Thankfully, his anti-allergy medication seemed to have done the trick so that he only sneezed occasionally and his eyes were a little itchy – maybe it was only cats and dogs which made him have a more severe reaction and not so much horses because he was out in the open as opposed to being in a small room with a very fluffy kitten.

"Well at least the horse can't break her heart and then leave like Je…." Arthur trailed off as he remembered that his boss, and Zosia's father was standing beside him.

"It's alright Arthur I know about what went on." Guy stated.

"Am I not the only one who thinks that that is a step too far?" Colette smiled as she watched Zosia offer the half-eaten apple to the horse which took a large bite from it.

"As long as she doesn't go back to eating it, it's fine." Dom stated and he was relieved to see that she was letting the animal have the rest of it. "It's like she's on a different planet with that thing." He exclaimed. "If I'd have known a horse could make her this happy I'd let her keep a miniature pony in our flat." He joked. "But it'd have to be that one out of the TV advert that can moonwalk." He added which caused Arthur to look at him in confusion whilst Colette and Guy couldn't help but smile.

* * *

"Right, ladies and gentlemen, tomorrow's team building activity is going to be a high ropes course." He stated and he looked at his daughter to see if she was in fact still afraid of heights and he was anxious to see that his words had certainly evoked fear into her. They were all sat in a circle in the folding chairs on the grassy field in the late afternoon. "I will choose 2 team captains who will then chose the rest of their team before you all compete to finish the course first. The winning team will be the team with every single one of their team over the finish line. We will be spending tomorrow night at this campsite too so you don't need to worry about packing all your things up. Just be ready to leave by 8:30am please. Alright, I think that's everything."

"I'm going for a shower to get any horse hair off of me or I'll be sneezing all night." Dom stated as he got up and went back to the tent with Zosia and Dom in tow so that he could get what he needed.

"Zosia, can I have a word please?" Guy requested just before she got in the tent. He was expecting a huff or something in reply but instead, she grabbed a fistful of the sleeve of his jumper and dragged him away from her tent and out into the open field.

"I thought you wanted us to get along." Zosia protested.

"I do. Of course I do." He stated confusedly.

"Then why are you trying to make this trip like hell for me?" She moaned. "First the ten hour journey up here when you know I get travel sick, now you've booked a high ropes course when you know I hate heights." She argued.

"Zosia, I thought you were scared of heights when you were little and you grew out of it; I didn't know you were still scared of them." Guy explained. "I'm sorry okay, yes I forgot about the travel sickness but what about the horse riding? You loved today didn't you?"

"Dad if I had the money I'd be on the next flight or train back to Holby, that's how much I don't want to be here." She stated.

"I'm sor–"

"So am I." Zosia muttered as she turned and headed back for her tent.

"Zosia, please –"

"I don't want to hear it." She snapped before she disappeared into her tent where Guy was sure she was probably being questioned by her flatmates about what the noise and disturbance was about. He didn't understand how he had been on such a high after seeing how happy she was with the horse, to how low he was now because his daughter wanted nothing to do with him. What made it worse was tomorrow was sure to be an awful day as well because he knew she wouldn't want to appear as a coward in front of her colleagues and he worried that would mean she would get herself into a position that she couldn't remove herself from i.e. stuck 50ft in the air in the middle of a forest in the middle of the high ropes course…


	5. Chapter 5

**Monday 3rd November 2014**

After they had stopped at a supermarket to get their lunches, had a safety talk about the activities and a tour of the site the group of ten were finally able to get their harnesses fitted and helmets on for the high ropes course.

"Is it me or has she been in a mood all morning?" Dom asked quietly as he watched Zosia, who was sulking, pull her harness up to her waist.

"Yep." Arthur confirmed. "She didn't have any breakfast either and she usually has a go at people who don't eat in the mornings." He pointed out. But whilst they talked, Zosia prepared by herself at the edge of the room. Not just physically, but mentally too. Her heart was pounding in her chest after they had seen some of the obstacles when they arrived by minibus and she felt slightly nauseous which she knew would only get worse when she faced heights so she had skipped breakfast.

"Right ladies and gentlemen, what's going to happen today is you'll take part in the high ropes course which will take two to three hours because we'll have to explain how to take on certain obstacles and go at a leisurely pace. Then after that you will be split into two teams and take part in a race across the whole course. It will be strenuous depending on how much effort you put in, and once you finish the course you have to run 200m back to the start to set the next person in your team off. If, at any point in the course, you wish to get down to the ground, let an instructor know and we will get you down as fast as we can." An instructor explained. "Now your leader, Guy, is going to tell you what the team arrangements are."

"Most of our activities over the next two weeks require you to be split into two teams and because this is supposed to get you working better together with everyone here I don't want you working in the same team every time so I'll be choosing. However, on the odd occasion, I will nominate two team captains. For now though, team captains are Mo and Arthur. Mo, in your team is Jac, Jonny, Adele and I which leaves Dom, Zosia, Colette and Sacha in Arthur's team. Are there any questions before we start?" Guy asked.

* * *

"You heard what they said: if you want to get down, don't panic and just say so." Colette said quietly to Zosia as they all stood at the beginning of the ropes course, waiting to begin, in their harnesses and helmets.

"And why would I do that?" Zosia protested.

"Need I remind you of that time you went on a school trip to Paris and your mum got a phone call from your teacher because you were stuck on the balcony of the Eiffel tower, refusing to move and Anya had to convince you - via mobile phone - to get the lift back down?" Colette smirked.

"Mama told you about that?" Zosia demanded.

"No. If I remember rightly, we were both in the staffroom at Northchurch on our lunch break and your mother nearly started crying because she missed you so much." Colette stated.

"Really?"

"Really." Colette confirmed.

"Alright?" Guy asked as he came up behind her and put his arm around her shoulders but Zosia just shrugged him off.

"That does not look safe." Zosia grumbled.

"Zosia, it's all completely safe I promise you." Guy said reassuringly.

"It's a load of ropes tied to random trees and a few bits of wood." She stated.

"Colette can go in front of you and I'll go behind you." Guy smiled.

* * *

"Which team do you reckon is going to win?" Jonny asked. "Bearing in mind our team has these guns." He quipped as he lifted up his arms and flexed his muscles which caused Jac to roll her eyes.

"'Our team'?" Mo protested. "Oi Maconie, I'm team captain, this is _my_ team." Mo stated smugly. "Plus hardly any of this course is about muscles, it's about having a head for heights and speed." She stated.

"Even better, I'm great at getting things done fast. Aren't I Jac?" Jonny grinned.

"Yeah we don't need to hear about your adventures in the linen cupboard thank you." Adele retorted.

"Can we focus on what we're meant to be doing please?" Jac protested and everyone smiled at the way she was avoiding eye contact and trying to change the subject.

"Did I mention how hot you look in a harness?" Jonny whispered into her ear as he playfully slapped her bum which caused her eyes to fly open before she regained composure as the instructor spoke.

"Right, let's get started!" He announced.

"Dad, don't make me do this." Zosia pleaded desperately.

"Zosh, you alright?" Dom asked.

"She'll be fine." Guy said on behalf of his daughter.

* * *

Her heart was pumping harder than it ever had in her life as she stood on top of a platform, 50ft in the air at the end of the high ropes course which was built into a beautiful forest. The final part of the course involved jumping from the platform as far forward as you could to reach the monkey bars which were swinging in the gentle breeze. One slip and she'd plummet until her safety rope reached the end of its length – which wasn't more than a school ruler – and she'd be slowly be lowered to the ground. She'd only managed that far with the support of Guy and Colette who had remained at the back of the group to help her with every step but they had been off of the ground for just over two hours and her legs were so wobbly, she was worried about collapsing.

There were ribbons tied loosely on the monkey bars for the final race so they couldn't try that part out; they had to descend from the platform one by one using the ladder and only Zosia and Guy remained whilst the other 8 waited with their feet firmly on the ground.

"Why don't you go before me?" Guy suggested. "If I go first, you'll have to wait for me to get to the bottom. Go on, you'll be fine. The faster you go down, the sooner you'll have your feet back on the ground." Guy said reassuringly.

"I'm being such an idiot; I know the fear is irrational but I still can't stop it." Zosia whispered.

"You're not being an idiot – everyone is afraid of at least one thing. You know what I'm like with flying, I can't stand being in a plane and I'm sure you remember what your mother was like around spiders or insects." He smirked.

"Right." Zosia began as she took a deep breath. "I'm going." She stated adamantly as she slowly moved over to the ladder which was simply large staples in a tall, thick wooden pylon.

"Well done sweetheart." Guy smiled as she stepped on to it but she didn't immediately move. "Just don't look down, and focus on where you're putting your hands so that you're looking at what's in front of you."

She remained frozen for several seconds but finally, she made a move and once she began she didn't stop until she reached the floor and an instructor unclipped her from the safety rope.

"Right, I thought it best not to ask you whilst we were up there but are you afraid of heights?" Arthur asked curiously.

"Of course she is." Dom exclaimed – he was far better at understanding people than his flatmate was. "But it's fine and it's understandable because my legs were like jelly on some of those obstacles." He added to reassure her that there was no need to be embarrassed.

"Well done." Colette smiled as she put her arm around Zosia's shoulders. "If you look up at it now, it doesn't look that high but when you're up there it's horrible isn't it?"

"What? You don't like it either?" Zosia asked innocently.

"I'm not petrified of heights but I wouldn't voluntarily sign up for this." Colette stated. "Though I must admit, the race does sound like it's going to be quite fun." She added as Guy got to the bottom and joined them.

"You might be looking forward to it but I can guarantee your team is going to lose." Guy smirked. "I'm only kidding. The only reason I put myself on the other team was so that I can race at the same time as Zosia and we can do it together so you're not by yourself." Guy explained. "Just make sure you go first." He added

* * *

"Right, here's what is going to happen for this race. You have already been divided into two teams of five and now you've got to decide amongst yourselves who is going 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc. Quickly, decide." Paul, the instructor, ordered.

"I'll go first." Guy announced as he stood with his group members: Jac, Jonny, Adele and Mo.

"I'll go second." Mo stated.

"Shotgun not going last." Adele blurted out.

"Right that means you're going third." Mo said to her sister. "Jonny you're going fourth and Jac you'll probably be the fastest so you're going last."

"I'm going first." Zosia stated firmly as she stood with Arthur, Dom, Colette and Sacha.

"Right, it's just that I'm team leader so I thought I was going to decide." Arthur protested.

"Diggers, she wants to race her dad so just leave it." Dom ordered. "Plus I want to go second." He added cheekily.

"I'll go third." Arthur huffed.

"I'll go fourth." Colette nodded.

"Which leaves me going last." Sacha concluded.

"Are we all sorted then?" Paul asked. "Good. There is just one more thing: you remember the ribbons on the monkey bars at the end? The different coloured ribbons are worth different number of points and the further out you go, the more points they're worth. At the end, there will be a winning team who complete the course the fastest and another winner with the most points – or one team could win both. Now, you cannot set off until the person I front of you in your group has returned. Are there any questions?"

"What are the rules on scratching, biting and clawing?" Dom asked jokily.

"No physical contact with the other team unless you're giving them a pat on the back." Paul smirked. "Right, on your marks." He began which made Zosia's heart beat increase as she glanced at her father and then back at the ropes course. "Get set… Go!"

"So it's going to be Naylor vs Levy for the last leg?" Sacha smiled as they watched Zosia and Guy begin the course. Almost everyone had gathered that Zosia and heights didn't get on well but they were all mature adults and said nothing of it.

"I could beat you any day." Jac retorted.

"Beat me? C'mon Jac. This isn't about who wins and loses–"

"Yes. It's about who gets the booze hence it's about who wins." Jac quipped.

"Alcoholic." Sacha joked.

"So you _aren't_ going to need a few beers at the end of today?" Jonny asked with a tone of astonishment.

"Ah, now when you put it like that." He smiled.

* * *

"I-I can't do this bit." Zosia stuttered as she and her father stood on the platform at the end with the monkey bars ahead of them. She had done incredibly well thanks to the support provided by her father but there was only so many times he could reassure her that it was all safe and she was going to be okay.

"I haven't done monkey bars in years." Guy exclaimed. "Tell you what, I'll give these a go whilst you go down by the ladder yeah? Wouldn't you prefer that?" He suggested.

"I forgot about the ladder." She gasped as she realised there was a way out of leaping into mid-air simply to get a coloured ribbon.

"You'll have to pretend you missed the first monkey bar." Guy warned.

"I can live with that." She shrugged before she set about making her way down the ladder. She was almost half way down when she saw her father leap for the first monkey bar but his hands didn't reach it – he only just got the first ribbon and there were 10 of them so he had gotten the lowest value. Slowly, his safety line lowered him to the ground and he met Zosia on the forest floor after they both clipped their safety line off.

"Now, we've got to look like we've been racing each other and not going at a leisurely pace." Guy stated.

"Last one back smells!" Zosia exclaimed as both of them began running at the same time. It was harder to run with a helmet and harness on, but of course Zosia was fitter than her father so she ran the 200m back to her team and immediately Dom ran as fast as he could and scrambled onto the ropes. As soon as Guy returned, Adele also set off but the other team had a slight lead thanks to Zosia

"That ribbon is worth 10 points." Paul stated as he noticed Guy's red ribbon. "Did you not get one?" He asked the junior doctor.

"No, I thought speed was more important." Zosia shrugged.

* * *

"So the winner, of both completing the course the fastest, and collecting the most points with the ribbon, is Mo's team." Paul announced as all ten of the medics pulled their harnesses and helmets off.

"The winner of each award will get a box of beers between them so that means between myself, Mo, Adele, Jac and Jonny we have two boxes of beer." Guy grinned.

"At least it wasn't like a ten minute gap or anything, we came pretty closely behind." Dom said disappointedly. He had been looking forward to an alcoholic beverage, but he had been looking forward to winning even more.

"You did really well today." Colette said quietly to Zosia.

"I still don't know what to think about him." Zosia admitted as she glanced over at her father. "He knew I was travel sick and hated heights – I'm sure he's only trying to make me suffer because of the whole Jesse thing."

"Zosia, if he was trying to make you suffer, why would he have booked that horse ride yesterday?" Colette asked. "Besides, he doesn't blame you for the Jesse thing; he still thinks that you're his little girl who Jesse, a grown man, took advantage of."

"So you don't think he's mad at me then." Zosia concluded. Maybe her father was trying to make amends after all.

* * *

"Can I come in?" Zosia heard her father ask as she, Dom and Arthur sat in their tent, chatting and relaxing after the physically exhausting day.

"Yeah." Zosia replied as she laid in her sleeping bag to keep warm on the chilly evening.

"I thought you guys might want my share of the winners beers." Guy stated as he placed the half empty box at the edge of their tent. "There's only 8 there but I'm still on a high from winning so knock yourselves out." He smiled.

"Cheers Mr S." Dom said gratefully.

"No worries. Goodnight." He smiled and he was about to close their tent back up when his daughter spoke.

"Dad?"

"Mm?"

"Goodnight." She smiled appreciatively and Guy's heart warmed when he realised she genuinely meant it and she appeared to be happy.

"Night darling." He said softly before he left them to it and went back to his own tent. Finally, he thought, he had gotten through to her. This trip had certainly built upon at least one relationship and they had only been gone for almost three days out of the fortnight that they would be spending together. He couldn't wait to see how the rest of it would go, including the boating challenge that would take place the next day which he was yet to surprise everyone about. Would it be a good surprise or a bad one?

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please review :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N I'd recommend that you google 'Kata Kanu' just to see what the boats, that're used in this chapter, look like :)****  
**

* * *

**Tuesday 4th November 2014**

Jonny opened his groggy eyes as he heard Jac's alarm go off, but once he became fully complacent, he realised they were both naked from the night before, as he laid with his arm hanging over her hip and one of his legs in between hers and both of their unzipped sleeping bags laid over them.

"Morning." Jonny whispered as he leant forward and kissed her neck whilst she fiddled with her phone.

"It's bloody freezing." She moaned before she sat up and held the cover against her chest whilst she reached across to grab her bra which had been thrown across the tent in the previous night's moment of passion.

"I know something that'll warm you up." Jonny smiled as he placed a hand on her smooth back. "Why don't we go for a nice, warm, cosy shower together?" He suggested.

"No thanks. Not after what happened on Sunday – I don't want Mo and Adele catching us again." She stated firmly.

"Well we can be more careful this time." Jonny stated. "We'll leave five minutes apart from each other and the showers are different from the ones before; they're sealed off cubicles with a changing room with them so you don't need to worry." He explained. "Pwease?" He pouted as he trailed the tips of his fingers over her lower back which he knew gave her goose bumps. "And then this evening, we can sit by a fire to warm us up, have the beers we won today and make smores which I know you've probably never had before so I'll teach you how to make the best ones in the world."

"What has having a shower together got to do with this evening?" Jac protested.

"Nothing." He shrugged. "Come on. I'll let you wash your hair first." He stated as he pulled on a pair of boxers.

"Fine, but if we get caught–"

"We won't, it'll be fine." Jonny replied reassuringly.

* * *

"Has anyone got any ideas as to what we're doing today?" Guy asked as he and the other nine medical professionals stood on the bank of Loch Ness which was only a short walk from the campsite that they had packed up from that morning.

"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say we're getting in those things." Adele stated bluntly as she pointed to the two plastic boats tied up at the edge of the water.

"'Those things' Adele, are called Katakanus and yes we are getting in them. What's going to happen is I'm going to split us into two teams of 5. Then, you will spend however long it takes going along this side of the bank until you reach the camp site that we'll be spending the night at. It is approximately 15 miles." Guy stated. The group looked down by the lake to see the two boats floating on the surface. They looked similar to two canoes joined together by some strong canvas and each side of the boat could seat 3 people but out of the ten people there, none of them had ever stepped foot in a Kata Kanu. "And the team who gets there first will, like yesterday's winners, get 2 boxes of beer. Are there any questions?"

"What if we fall in?" Dom asked stupidly.

"You'll get wet." Zosia quipped.

"Precisely." Guy confirmed. "Now, team captains are… Zosia and Jonny. You can each pick a team member in turns until you have your team of five. Do I need to flip a coin to see who goes first?"

"No no no no, ladies first." Jonny smiled.

"Okay. Um… Dom." Zosia stated.

"Ms Naylor." Jonny smiled coyly as she walked over and joined his team.

"Dad." Zosia picked.

"Mo."

"Colette."

"Adele."

"Arthur."

"Which leaves us with Sacha." Jonny smiled as he shook the man's hand as he joined his team which consisted of himself, the Effanga sisters, Jac and Sacha, whilst Zosia had her father, Colette and her two flatmates.

"Don't worry if you don't know how to paddle – I don't think anyone here does so you'll all soon learn." Guy stated. "And the sooner you get to the campsite, the sooner you can eat your lunch because all of your belongings – which I told you to leave on the minibus – will be driven by the people who hire the boats out, to our campsite so that they can then take the boats back." Guy explained. "It's pretty impossible to get lost; all you're doing is paddling parallel to the shore until you reach the campsite which you should easily recognise because there will be caravans, tents etc in a field. And at first, you might think it's not a team building activity but you hav to get that rhythm of everyone paddling simultaneously to be successful yeah? Are there any questions before we set off? No? Right well then, everyone grab a buoyancy aid and when you're ready you can go." Guy announced.

"Team Maconie, this way." Jonny grinned as he lead his group closer to the bank of the loch where there was a pile of 5 buoyancy aids, 5 paddles and the rope, that was securing their Kata Kanu from drifting off, tied to a tree. "Woah, someone's in a rush." Jonny exclaimed confusedly as he watched Jac grab a buoyancy aid and she quickly adjusted it around her torso.

"Do you want to win or not?" Jac snapped.

"Well yeah… but since when have you been competitive?" Jonny questioned.

"She just wants the beers." Mo quipped.

"Come here." Jonny ordered as he gently took her hand and lead her aside from the group whilst the rest of them got ready.

"Why are you suddenly so competitive?" Jonny asked again.

"It's not about the winning." She stated angrily.

"Well why do you want to finish it so quickly? What? Do you not like water? Can't you swim?" He guessed.

"No, it's nothing like that." Jac protested.

"Well what is it then?" He asked.

"Come on Maconie!" Mo shouted as she, Adele and Sacha began to get into the boat with their paddles.

"Hang on." Jonny shouted back before he turned his attention back to the woman he loved who was clearly acting so out of character. "Sweetheart, you can tell me." He said softly as he took one of her cold hands into both of his for reassurance.

"My tablets… They're all in my bag." Jac admitted.

"Right… Oh your painkillers." He concluded quietly. "Okay, when's your next dose supposed to be?" He asked.

"2pm." Jac replied.

"We should be there by then." Jonny assured her. "You're not on now though, I mean, you don't need any other products from your bag do you–"

"No." Jac interrupted simply.

"Okay. Don't worry, I'll try and get us there as soon as I can." Jonny whispered before he kissed Jac on her forehead. "I promise." He added. "Come on, let's make a move." He smiled as he continued to hold her hand and lead her down so that they could both get into the boat as well.

"What's the matter?" Sacha asked curiously as Jac took a seat in front of him with her paddle.

"She's just cold." Jonny spoke up as he watched Jac fail to come up with an excuse. "And she hasn't had her morning coffee." He added to add some humour to the situation. "Don't worry, as soon as we get to the campsite I'll make you a hot drink and you can wear my hoodie." Jonny smiled at her and Jac couldn't help but smile to herself because of his loving gesture. She was due on in a few days and she knew that missing or delaying one dose of her painkillers would provoke a flare up in her endometriosis pain but Jonny's reassurance seemed to have put her worries at ease. "Everyone ready to go?" He asked.

"Yeah, just one question." Adele announced. "How the hell are we supposed to drive this thing?" She asked which caused the rest of her team to smirk, except Jac who rolled her eyes at the HCA.

* * *

"Right, you're in charge." Guy said to his daughter as the other team congregated separately.

"Get these on and get in the boat." Zosia ordered bluntly as she picked up a buoyancy aid from the second pile on the floor.

"I always knew her talents laid in leadership." Guy said sarcastically as he grabbed one as well.

"We need to win the beers." Dom declared.

"You had some last night." Arthur protested. "In fact you had about 5." He added.

"And they barely touched the sides. Besides, they were only tiddly little bottles." Dom stated.

"If we win, you three can share mine as well if you want." Colette offered.

"You do realise if you want more beers you can just google the nearest off-license and buy them right?" Zosia quipped as she picked up a paddle.

"Yes but that costs money – we have the opportunity to win free beers here." Dom stated.

"Anyone know how to paddle?" Guy asked curiously.

"How hard can it be?" Zosia shrugged.

* * *

With Sacha and Mo sitting in the back two seats, then Jac and Adele in the middle and Jonny sitting in front of Jac, they were making fairly good progress. But of course they had no idea how much longer they had left before they would arrive at the campsite, nor could they remember whether the other team was in front of them of behind. All that could be heard was the occasional bird and the splashing of water when someone lifted their paddle out of the water too fast. However, that silence was interrupted as Jonny's watched beeped - as it did every hour - and he looked at it to read 14:00 – it was 2pm.

Jonny turned around to see that Jac, the usually strong, fierce looking woman was actually rather fearful and apprehensive because of course she knew she was due to begin experiencing pain soon and that was the last thing she wanted.

Jonny gave a sympathetic smile to her to show that he was thinking of her and what she was going through and thankfully, she seemed to understand that there was nothing else he could do. Everyone's arms were already aching from paddling for almost 3 hours with only two short breaks and Jonny had been trying his very hardest to get to the campsite as fast as possible for his partner.

"Can we stop for a break soon?" Adele whined. "I'm knackered."

"Yeah, I could do with a break." Sacha nodded.

"No, let's keep going. We must be nearly there." Jonny stated. He didn't want to delay Jac taking her medication any longer than he had to and as team leader, he felt he was the one in charge.

"All those who vote for a break?" Adele asked and she, Sacha and Mo put their hands up. "Three against two. We're taking a break." Adele stated as she lifted her paddle into the boat and put her feet up on the empty seat in front of her.

"Jac, you alright?" Sacha asked.

"I'm fine." Jac huffed before she rested her head on the palm of her hand and rested her elbow on her knee.

"I'm sorry." Jonny mouthed as he turned around to face her. "Looks like it's going to be chicken soup for dinner." He smiled.

"Why? You still cold?" Mo asked curiously and Jac let out a sigh of relief that even the other person there who knew of her condition hadn't caught up with what was going on.

"Yeah – it's bloody Scotland. I've been in warmer blizzards." Jac joked and Jonny shook his head at her but he still couldn't help but smile.

"When we get to the campsite, you can stay in the tent for a while and I'll try and find somewhere to get dinner from." Jonny replied and Jac understood that he meant she could get as warm and comfortable as she could in the tent whilst he'd sort out everything else.

* * *

"Let's face it, I'm just the best team captain here." Zosia grinned as she, Arthur and Dom sat around the fire with Colette and Guy not far away and the junior doctors were enjoying their beers.

"None of us have been team captains yet so you can't say that." Dom protested before he took a red tube out of his pocket. "Diggers, put this on my shoulders for me." He ordered as he handed the tube of deep heat to him before he pulled his shirt off over her head but given that Arthur had only had one beer, he grimaced at the awkwardness for him of rubbing lotion into a gay man's back.

"Oh just give it here will you." Zosia protested as she snatched it off of him and then knelt behind Dom and did as he had requested.

"It's a good job he's gay otherwise I would not be happy right now." Guy said quietly to Colette.

"It wouldn't matter if he wasn't gay; Zosia hasn't got feelings for any man at the moment because she's not over Jesse yet." Colette said quietly whilst they watched Dom swig from his bottle of beer as Zosia rubbed the gel into the back of his shoulders.

"Do you really think she loved him?" Guy asked curiously.

"She was distraught when he left." Colette nodded. "But Dom and Arthur have helped her a lot." She added as they watched Zosia laugh as Dom wiped a bit of dirt off of Arthur's face using his thumb.

"She reminds me so much of Anya." Guy said softly. "Especially–"

"Her laugh." Colette interrupted and Guy chuckled. "What are we doing tomorrow by the way?" She asked curiously.

"I can't tell _you_ and not the others." Guy protested.

"Of course you can." She argued. "It doesn't involve boats again does it? Because my arms are killing me."

"Nope. It involves guns." Guy quipped.

"What?!"

"It's only paintballing." Guy assured her.

"I seem to remember having a patient who'd been paintballing, fallen over and broken her leg in about four different places and she was absolutely covered in bruises." Colette frowned.

"Well if that does happen, you'll be surrounded by medical professionals."

"Somehow, that doesn't put me at ease."

* * *

"How was your chicken soup?" Jonny asked as he knelt behind Jac in their tent and gently massaged her shoulders and upper back whilst she sat in a pair of black leggings and a white camisole vest. They had arrived around 3pm – an hour after what should have been her next pain relief dosage and almost an hour after Zosia's team had arrived but as soon as they had gotten there, Jac had taken her painkillers with a sip of water. The result of delaying a dose hadn't appeared to cause any problems apart from one or two sharp pains in her abdomen but they had disappeared as fast as they appeared so it wasn't too much of a bother.

"Fine." Jac replied simply as she knew he believed that the steaming soup had medicinal properties but in fact it was just a nice meal to warm them up after a long day outside. "Can you stop?" She added as she squirmed her shoulders out of his grasp – his attempts at massages always did seem like a good idea after a tiresome day but once he began, she remembered how terrible his massage skills really were.

"Sure." Jonny chuckled. "Here, put this on." He said as he grabbed his black hoodie and helped her to put it on. "Shall we hit the sack? I'm knackered and I hate to think what Guy's got planned for tomorrow."

"Whatever it is, I'm taking my painkillers in my pocket in case he decides to hijack our bags again." Jac grumbled as they both laid down on the foam mat and then Jonny pulled their opened sleeping bags on top of them.

"Night night." Jonny whispered as he kissed behind her ear before he got comfortable with one arm hung over her hip. And soon, they both fell asleep wondering what the next day would bring…

* * *

**Merry Christmas Eve Eve !**


	7. Chapter 7

**Wednesday 5th November 2014, 6am**

Zosia's alarm on her phone started but she couldn't be bothered to open her eyes just yet so she located the device with her hand and kept on sliding her finger across the screen until she found the right direction and managed to stop the infernal noise. She instantly recognised an annoying throbbing pain in her head, but she had certainly experienced far worse hangovers in the past so she slowly opened her eyes enough to see what was in front of her before she grabbed a bottle of water from her bag which she had been using as a pillow and she downed the entire thing – she knew water was the best thing to aid her headache.

After downing the cool liquid, she turned her attention to her flat – or rather _tent _mates – and found that both men were in fact sleeping with their arms around the other and Arthur had his face buried in Dom's chest. She couldn't miss a good opportunity for future blackmailing material so she took a picture of the pair before she decided to wake them up.

"Oi, Doris." Zosia declared as she placed a firm hand on Dom's shoulder and gave him a bit of a shake which in turn woke both of the men up. They slowly stirred but as soon as the realised what position they had been sleeping in, they shot up and Arthur jumped to his feet.

"I um, I'm going for a shower." Arthur stuttered as he quickly grabbed his towel and wash bag before he exited the tent leaving Dom and Zosia to exchange a bemused look.

"What time did we call it a night last night?" Dom groaned as he stretched his arms out in front of him.

"I can't remember." Zosia shrugged. "I do remember going to bed earlier than you two though; I was knackered."

"Lightweight." Dom scoffed and Zosia rolled her eyes as she grabbed a change of clothes, towel and her toiletry bag.

"I'm going for a shower as well." She announced as she got up, exited the tent and on her way over, she greeted her father who had just gotten out of his tent.

"Morning." Guy smiled. "You alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" She protested.

"I just thought after drinking last night you might've felt a little worse for wear." He admitted. "Anyway, there's a café near the reception of the campsite so I'm going to go and get some breakfast in a little while. Do you want me to get you anything?" He offered.

"Double expresso and a bacon roll?" Zosia requested cheekily.

"Yeah sure. I'll leave it a little while so I'll get back once you've had your shower." Guy nodded.

"By the way, what are we actually doing today?" Zosia asked.

"I'm not saying yet. Just remember what I said last night – you don't need to pack up your tent up today, just have a bag with some lunch in it ready for the day by 8:30am."

* * *

**8:35am**

With the group of ten on the minibus, Guy decided it was best to tell everyone what they were going to be doing for the day whilst he drove them to the address he had been given.

"Just so you all know, today we're going to be taking part in paintballing." Guy announced and the minibus fell silent. "I will split you into two teams when we get there and the winning team will get free pizza tonight for dinner." He explained.

"Paintballing?" Jac frowned as she and Jonny sat at the back of the minibus with Sacha on her other side and the Effanga sisters on the two seats in front of them.

"Well at least when we get back to the campsite we haven't got to set up the tent and everything." Jonny reasoned – they were staying at the same campsite for two nights in a row and so they didn't need to pack everything up like they had done for the past few nights.

"That still doesn't make up for making us do paintballing." Jac moaned.

"It hurts like hell when you don't wear the protective padding." Adele announced.

"How would you know?" Mo protested.

"Because when I was a holiday rep in Ibiza, we did paintballing but it was scorching hot and the helmets messed our hair up so we just wore shorts and a t-shirt." Adele replied.

* * *

"Right, how're we going to split you up into teams?" Guy aired aloud as he opened the minibus door and the others got out of the vehicle into the car park surrounded by a vast forest. "Tell you what, I'll select 2 team captains and then they can pick their teams just like the high ropes course teams. Team captain number one is… Dom." Guy announced. "Captain number two is… Adele."

"Brilliant. Dumb and dumber." Jac grumbled.

"Dom, pick your first team member. Guy ordered.

"Zosia have you ever been paintballing before?" Dom asked curiously.

"No questions allowed." Guy said sternly.

"Fine." Dom huffed. "Come on Zosh."

"Jonny." Adele smiled.

"What? You're not going to even pick your sister first?" Mo protested.

"Well I know you're probably useless at paintballing." Adele explained with a smile.

"You cheeky mare." Mo huffed.

"Er… Guy." Dom nodded.

"Jac."

"Colette."

"Sacha."

"Mo."

"Which leaves me with you guys." Sacha concluded cheerily as he went and joined his team of Adele, Jonny, Jac and Arthur. Whilst Dom almost had his dream team : himself, Zosia, Guy, Colette and Mo. He would've preferred to have Jonny on his team because for some reason he had a feeling the Scotsman would be good at paintballing but Adele had chosen him first.

"Okay, let's go and play some paintball." Guy smiled as he led the two groups into the reception where two men were sitting behind a desk in black and white striped jerseys with 'Ref' written across the chest.

"You guys must be the Holby group. Am I right?"

"Yes, I'm Guy the leader." Guy confirmed.

"Okay, well I'm George and this is Max. We'll be your instructors and referees." A man stated. "If you'd like to follow me to the kit room." He began as he lead everyone through to a medium sized room with several boxes dotted against the walls filled with equipment. "Okay, we spoke over the phone and you signed the documents and faxed them over so we can get started right away." George said to Guy. "Ladies and gentlemen, helmets, padded gloves and camouflage boiler suits are mandatory, everything else – the knee pads, elbow pads, hip padding, neck guards etc are all optional. So I want you all to put the gear on that you want, all padding goes on underneath the boiler suits and you can leave any spare clothing or bags in here for the day." He explained. "Off you go."

"Do we have to wear a helmet?" Adele moaned.

"Yeah, it's not as if she has a brain to protect." Jac said sarcastically to Jonny.

"Stop whining and put it on." Mo ordered.

"Zosia, aren't you wearing any other padding?" Guy protested as he watched his daughter pull a green camouflage boiler suit on over her black vest and jeggings.

"It's all optional." Zosia replied simply.

"No but–"

"Guy, just leave it." Colette advised. "If she wants to get bruised, she can get bruised."

"Okay, whilst you guys get ready I'm going to explain what's happening today." Max began. "You should've already been split into two teams, and firstly we're going to play elimination paintball which is relatively simple. You'll keep playing until a whole team is eliminated, and once you've been shot you must leave the game area and wait behind the gate. You cannot shoot someone from less than 20ft away or you will cause serious damage and you cannot aim for anyone's head, even if they are wearing a helmet. After that, we'll play 'Capture the flag' which I will explain to you nearer the time. Are there any questions?"

"Will it hurt?" Arthur asked stupidly.

"It depends where, and if, you get hit. If you get hit somewhere where you've got padding on, it won't hurt so much. Somewhere else, i.e. your upper arm and it will sting a bit." Max replied.

"Aren't you wearing any padding?" Jonny protested as Jac had also only pulled on a boiler suit over her white camisole and black leggings.

"You think I'd voluntarily wear something that'll be uncomfortable, unhygienic and limit manoeuvrability?" Jac retorted.

"Manoeuvrability? Someone's getting competitive." Jonny grinned.

* * *

The game area was in the midst of a forest and the boundaries were clearly marked out by white, post and rail, wooden fencing. Dom's team had guns with red paintballs and Adele's team had guns with yellow paintballs, and both teams had been given five minutes to position themselves ready for the game.

"Does Adele realise we can still see her?" Sacha grinned as he and Jonny stood behind a tree with their helmets and boiler suits on and their guns at the ready waiting for the game to begin.

"Probably not." Jonny smirked as they watched the HCA stand behind a bush. But because it was autumn, the leaves were brown and orange and she was in a green camouflage boiler suit and could be seen through it. "I really wanna know where Jac's hiding though because I genuinely can't see her." He admitted as he scanned the surroundings to try and see a flicker of auburn hair escaping from the black motorcycle-style helmet that everyone had to wear but he had no such luck. Where was she hiding?

"Everyone ready?" Max shouted. "Remember, no shooting someone closer than 20ft and no aiming for the head. Off you go!" He began the match and immediately, there were no shots – all was silent.

"You got my back yeah mate?" Jonny whispered as both men stood behind the thick-trunked tree with their backs against each other looking in opposite directions.

"Definitely." Sacha nodded.

"Ouch!" Adele squealed and she came out from behind the bush to reveal a large red splat on her upper leg – the first shot had been fired.

"Well that's our team captain down." Sacha concluded as the woman held her gun up in the air and quickly ran towards the gate where they had to wait once they were out of the game.

* * *

Given that she had never played paintball in her life, Jac was secretly apprehensive of the game and had sought refuge by hiding at the very edge of the game play area in a small hollow at the bottom of a bush which had clearly been used by others before but was relatively concealed from view. She listened attentively to hear shots being fired – some close, some further away – but it soon dawned on her that she couldn't hide in there forever without being shot out, or else the game would go on forever. So she leant forward, got her gun ready and her finger on the trigger and the first person she could see behind an old wooden shed was Guy Self.

She tried to aim it around his torso – the largest target area – and after a bit of hesitation, she finally pulled the trigger. She couldn't help but grin as she realised she had actually shot the man in his most sensitive area and he first yelped in pain. He then looked around him but could not find where the culprit was but after seeing no one, he put his gun up in the air and swiftly left the playing area.

* * *

Zosia walked with a smug smile on her face as she arrived near the gate where everyone who had been eliminated from the second game stood.

"Who's the champion?" Zosia teased after she took her helmet off and held it in the same hand as her gun.

"I wouldn't be so sure." Jonny advised as he stood behind the gate.

"But I'm the only one left in the game." Zosia stated confusedly.

"No you're not." Mo smirked.

"Ah!" Zosia gasped as a paintball collided with her gloved hand and covered her side in yellow paint. "Jesus Christ that hurts." She groaned as she dropped the gun and helmet on the ground and clutched her injured hand with the other as the extremity began to throb. "I don't get it, who's left?" She demanded and that was when someone in a camouflage boiler suit and motorcycle helmet strolled out from behind a tree, held their gun pointing upwards and pretended to blow over the end of it.

"How the bloody hell are you so good at paintball?" Jonny laughed as his partner arrived at the gate and pulled her helmet off and allowed her auburn hair to cascade down over her shoulders.

"It's not exactly hard." Jac scoffed. "You hide and you shoot." She added.

"Zosia, are you alright?" Guy asked concernedly as he walked past the gate to check on his daughter who had just taken off her glove to reveal largely reddened skin on the back of her hand.

"I'll be fine." Zosia declared though she knew she was sure to have a bruise there later; the pain was immense.

"Right, Jac's team win then." Guy concluded. "I'll give you the menu when we get back to the campsite but your team gets a free Pizza Hut takeaway tonight and I'll order it for you when you're ready." He explained.

* * *

"I still can't believe you shot my backside." Dom grumbled as he, Arthur and Zosia sat in their tent as they relaxed after the tiresome day either on their phones and just chatting with each other.

"Well I aimed for the biggest target." Zosia quipped and she had to dodge Dom as he attempted to elbow her in a playful manor.

"I bet I've got a bruise." He added.

"Yeah well it's nothing compared to mine." Zosia moaned. "The bloody ice queen shot me in the hand and it's still throbbing even though that was hours ago."

"Well I'd hate to rub it in your face but it sounds like the pizza is here for the winning team so I'd better get going." Arthur smirked as he began to get up.

"Our team _nearly _won." Zosia argued as he left and she then laid back down on her sleeping bag and began flicking through on her phone. "Oh great." She huffed.

"What?" Dom questioned and she showed him the calendar on her phone where a reminder had just popped up with the message '_Tomorrow – Period Due_.' "Oh, unlucky." Dom smiled sympathetically. "If you want to get out of whatever we're doing tomorrow, just say your hand still hurts. I'm sure the bruising will look worse by the morning."

"It's not the activities I'm dreading. What I'm dreading, is have to deal with it whilst I share a tent with you and Arthur and I only have access to dingy, disgusting toilets and cold showers." She grumbled. "No offence." She added.

"None taken." Dom smirked. "If there's anything I can do, just let me know." Dom offered.

"Thanks." Zosia said gratefully.

* * *

"Dinner is served." Jonny announced as he arrived in his tent with a square pizza box and a plain white carrier bag. He had taken the liberty of ordering for both him and Jac and decided it would be more romantic to eat in their tent together than to eat outside with the rest of the team. "All thanks to you being incredible at paintball." He added humorously as he opened the box to reveal one side had chunks of chicken with peppers and onions whilst the other half of the pizza was covered in various meats – one pizza was too big for either of them and he knew they'd both want different things so he ordered a half and half pizza. "That's your half." He announced before he picked up a slice of the meat feast and took a large bite.

"Do you think Elliot's coping without us?" Jac asked to break the silence.

"Do you mean is he coping without _you_?" Jonny corrected. "Darwin couldn't run without you on a permanent basis because no other doctor is as efficient or as surgically skilled as you and no one could compete with the amount of work you get done." He began. "But for the short term i.e. 2 weeks, Elliot can cope just fine." Jonny stated. "Why? Do you miss him?"

"No, I miss work. I haven't been away for this long in ages and when I have it was because I was abroad learning a new technique or at a conference regarding my career." Jac stated.

"Jac, we've not even been gone a week yet." Jonny chuckled.

* * *

"That looks sore." Guy announced as he entered the unisex toilets where he found his daughter running her bruised hand under the cold tap. "Is it swollen?" He asked.

"Yeah, a bit." She admitted. "I've taken some ibuprofen a little while ago so that should help with the pain and swelling… I just don't understand how it's so painful."

"You might have bruised a bone." He stated as he took a closer look at her hand. "Look, if the swelling hasn't gone down by morning then I'll try to take you to a local walk-in centre." Guy stated.

"Well… I'm gonna call it a night." Zosia announced as he dried her hands on some paper towels.

"Remember, let me know how your hand is in the morning." Guy ordered sternly.

"I will." She huffed. "Oh, by the way, what are we doing tomorrow?"

"A bit of hiking. Well, I should probably say quite a bit of hiking." He corrected himself. "You'll be doing at least 11 miles." He informed his daughter. "Do you have any preference on teams? Or any suggestions for two team captains? Because the team captains will be in charge of the map and plotting a route."

"I think Colette would be a good captain then." Zosia suggested. "She can read maps."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking. So you, Colette, Arthur, Dom and myself, yeah?"

"Mmhmm. Oh, and make Adele the other team captain." Zosia smiled evilly.

"I doubt Ms Effanga knows how to read a map." Guy stated.

"That's the point." She grinned. "Night."

"Night darling." Guy smiled.


	8. Chapter 8

**I wish you all a very merry christmas and I hope you've had a good day! **

* * *

**Thursday 6th November 2014 **

"Where have you been?" Colette asked curiously as she watched Guy, who had arrived at the campsite via taxi, stroll towards the groups area. She herself hadn't long been awake and was about to get ready for the day when she had spotted the CEO arrive.

"Driving the minibus to tonight's campsite." Guy informed her. "Is everyone up?" He asked curiously.

"Everyone except one." Colette replied.

"Zosia." Guy concluded as he began to walk over to the junior doctors' tent. "Zosia, you up?" Guy asked as he squatted down and unzipped her tent to find two empty sleeping bags belonging to her flatmates, and the third sleeping bag was zipped up all the way. "Zosia." He repeated.

"What?" She grumbled without opening her eyes.

"You need to start getting up darling." He informed her, but after waiting a little longer, she hadn't moved. "How's your hand?" He asked and he smirked as his daughter huffed before she sat up and pulled her hand out of the sleeping bag but both of their eyes flew open when they realised that she had a deep purple bruise on the back of her hand. "How painful is it?" He asked as he got further into her tent and put his hand under hers so that he could examine the damage from the paintball injury that Jac Naylor had inflicted on her the day before.

"It's a bit sore but nothing too bad." She replied though she knew she wasn't a morning person and she felt a bit irritated that her father was in her tent whilst she presumed Arthur and Dom were having a shower.

"Well take some paracetamol but don't have any ibuprofen or you'll prolong the bleeding." He advised. "That's a pretty big bruise."

"But–" Zosia tried to protest before she stopped herself.

"But what?" Guy prompted.

"Nothing, it doesn't matter."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Now go on, go. I need to get ready." Zosia ordered.

"Alright, see you in a bit." He smiled before he got up and left her tent leaving Zosia to ponder on her thoughts. It hadn't even crossed her mind, despite being a doctor, that taking ibuprofen could only make her hand injury worse. And she knew that she was due on her period that day. How was she going to cope without ibuprofen when paracetamol barely took the edge off of her monthly cramps?

* * *

"This is ridiculous." Jac exclaimed as she, Jonny, Sacha and Mo waited for Adele, their team leader, to plan the route they would walk to the next campsite whilst the other team, who had Colette as a team leader, had already set off. They all had to carry their belongings including their tents and so they all had their hiking bags on their backs with the chest and hip straps secured.

"Give her some time." Jonny advised, though he too was becoming impatient. "You don't want to rush her or we'll end up in bloody Glencoe." He joked.

"Where?" Mo frowned.

"Never mind." Jonny smirked.

"So which side of the river are we on then?" Adele asked which caused Jac to roll her eyes and Sacha to chuckle. "I mean, this is Loch Ness isn't it?"

"Yes Adele." Mo sighed. "And Loch Ness is a lake not a river. Right, I'd better help her or we'll be here all day." She concluded before she went to assist her sister, as did Sacha.

"So, you like being in Scotland?" Jonny asked with a smile, and Jac scoffed in reply. "Oh come on, surely the fresh air here is way better than staying in Holby." He protested.

"You really think I prefer being here than being able to perform pioneering surgery?" She retorted.

"You've been working hard for months; you need a break from the hospital." Jonny smirked. "Besides, I didn't hear you complaining last night when you and I were–"

"Maconie!" Mo interrupted.

"What? I was going to say 'when we were sitting by the fire together'." Jonny protested with a mischievous grin.

"Can we just get going please?" Jac snapped.

"Right, I think I've got the route planned." Adele stated.

"Hallelujah." Jac exclaimed sarcastically.

* * *

"Okay, let's take a break here." Colette announced as they arrived at a quiet café on the water front by the Loch. There were tables and chairs out on the large decking and there was only another small group of hikers sitting at a table indoors. They arrived at a table outside and they took a seat, but Zosia slowly sat down so that she reduced the pain she felt when she moved suddenly. Usually, what she was going through would be called numerous names by Dom – the 'monthly curse' and the 'shark week' to name a few – and it was times like then that she agreed with him; it was most definitely like a curse. The pain could go from moderate to unbearable within seconds, and then fade away before returning minutes later and she never could get used to the pain.

"You guys sort out anything you want and I'll order; it's on me." Guy offered as he sat down besides his daughter at a long table, outside, along with his other four team members. Soon, Arthur, Dom and Colette had told Guy what they wanted – most of which were a hot drink and a pastry or slice of cake – but Guy frowned as he glanced at his daughter who was sat in her chair with her knees up to her chest and she was tapping away on her phone. "Zosia? What do you want?" Guy prompted.

"Nothing." She replied innocently.

"Not even a fruit juice or water or something?" He frowned. Given how much exercise they had all done, and would continue to do for the rest of the day, everyone was eating and drinking more than usual so they had the energy but she seemed out of character as she replied with a shake of her head. "Right, I'll go and order everything then." He stated confusedly before he walked inside as Arthur and Dom exchanged a glance.

"What's up with her?" Arthur mouthed to his flatmate. Dom then remembered the calendar event that had appeared on Zosia's phone the day before but he shrugged in reply because he knew it wouldn't be fair to joke about when she appeared to be suffering.

"How's your hand?" Colette asked as she observed Zosia's deep purple ring on the back of her hand where she had been shot by a paintball the previous day.

"Sore." Zosia replied honestly. Though she had forgotten about her hand injury because of the overwhelming pain in her lower abdomen.

"Are you alright? You just seem a bit…quiet." Colette asked.

"I'm fine." Zosia forced a smile before she returned her attention to her mobile phone. "Mind you, my bruise isn't as inconvenient as the one on Dom's backside." She quipped as she gathered that her team members had obviously sensed something wrong with her and she didn't want them to know she felt unwell.

"Yeah thanks for that by the way. I looked in the mirror and I _have _got a bruise." He grumbled playfully.

"It's not my fault you can't play paintball properly." Zosia replied innocently before she returned to her phone and Guy exited the café to sit back down besides his daughter.

"They're bringing everything out in a minute." He stated as he put his wallet back into his pocket before he noticed the tinge of blue to his daughter's pale hands – minus the bruise – so he grabbed his hiking bag and pulled a thick black fleece out. "Here, wear this." He ordered.

"Why?"

"You look cold." Guy said softly as he continued to hold out the fleece. Slowly, she took the item of clothing, put her legs down and zipped the fleece up around her torso before she brought her knees back up to her chest and rested her chin on them. "Thanks dad." Guy said sarcastically.

* * *

"I have never been so glad to arrive at a campsite my entire life." Mo exclaimed as she, Adele, Jac, Jonny and Sacha arrived at in the field where three tents were already set up as they had arrived after the other group.

"Ah, nice of you to join us." Guy smirked as he got out of his tent. "There's an onsite restaurant up by the office so we're going to head up there in an hour or so for some dinner if you want to join us." He explained.

"Oh, I could murder for a pizza right now." Adele declared.

"You want to go to the restaurant?" Jonny asked his partner as they both put their bags down on the ground where they planned on putting their tent up but he saw the slight look of disgust on her face and he could read her like a book – he knew she'd much rather them just sit at a table by themselves as opposed to sitting with the rest of the group. "We can put the tent up and go straight over there; just me and you. My treat. And then, we can get a small fire going to keep us warm." He said suggestively as he put his hands on her upper arms and gently rubbed up and down.

"Yeah, alright." Jac nodded. "I need to go for a shower tonight though, I feel disgusting." She grimaced as she thought of how much exercise they had done that day – she wasn't protesting at the amount of exercise but she did know she couldn't sleep easy without having a shower because she just felt unclean.

"You said it, not me." Jonny quipped and he had to dive out of the way as Jac playfully attempted to swat him where no man should be hit.

* * *

"Is Zosia really okay?" Guy asked concernedly as he, Arthur, Colette, Sacha and Dom sat at a table at the casual restaurant just a short walk from their tents. She had declined to go with them, instead favouring to have a lie down because her legs were 'aching' but he hadn't bought it; he could tell when his daughter was lying. And the group had finished their meal and were just letting it get down as the relaxed after the tiring day.

"She's just tired. Once she's had some rest, she'll be fine." Dom replied with a reassuring smile.

"Anyway, what're we doing tomorrow?" Colette asked curiously.

"Ah, I'm not revealing that until tomorrow." Guy stated.

"Any particular reason why?" Sacha asked with a hint of confusion because he had been telling what they were doing the next day almost every evening.

"I just don't want anyone getting apprehensive about it." Guy stated and he received a lot of concerned looks as they thought about what they were supposed to get apprehensive about. "Don't worry about it, really. Most of the team will be fine, there's just one or two who might not enjoy it." Guy stated reluctantly. He was, of course, talking about his daughter because he had booked them a day at a rock climbing centre which he knew she would absolutely hate after the high ropes course. But he couldn't unbook it so last minute and expect a refund, he'd just have to wait and see how she would get on.

* * *

After grabbing a spare jumper, Jonny went back to the small fire that he had started where Jac who, after taking a shower, had her wet hair tied back in a bun with her hood up, was sitting on a folded up picnic blanket besides it. He smiled before he went and sat down behind her, put his legs either side of her and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Are you warm enough?" Jonny whispered in her ear before he affectionately kissed her cheekbone.

"Not tonight, I'm too tired." Jac sighed as she knew exactly what he was trying to initiate. But after walking all day, she really didn't have the energy for such things.

"I asked you if you were warm enough, not if you wanted an NHS meeting." He chuckled softly before his snaked his arms around her waist and rested his hands on her navel. "I've always wanted to bring you to Scotland and for us to have a nice holiday. Maybe in the summer we could rent a cottage up here." He suggested.

"And why would I voluntarily come back here?" She retorted exhaustedly. "The only reason I came here was because if I didn't then I'd have to work on maternity for two weeks." She grumbled.

"Okay…" Jonny admitted defeat as he kept her in his arms as the fire crackled away in front of them. "I don't think I say it often enough Jac, but I love you." He declared. "Despite your acid wit, never-ending sarcasm and racist remarks about Scots, I hate to be apart from you."

"You're not gonna propose are you?" Jac moaned.

"No!" He smirked. "I'm just telling you how much you mean to me." He stated as he tightened his grip on her. "Don't worry about breakfast in the morning; I'll go over to the café and get us some breakfast and coffee."

"I don't want anything to eat unless–"

"It's a fruit salad, some toast or a yogurt. I know." Jonny interrupted smugly. "Now just close your eyes, listen to nature and relax. Don't think about work, don't think about anything–"

"Which I'm sure you'll appreciate is much harder for me than it is for you."

"Just relax." Jonny whispered as he rested his chin on her shoulder again and rested the side of his head against hers.

* * *

"How much do you know about the effects of NSAIDs on blood clotting?" Zosia asked curiously once she, Arthur and Dom had just gotten zipped up in their sleeping bags so they could soon get off to sleep.

"I did an essay on it last week and asked you to read it for me." Arthur complained.

"Alright, sorry. I admit I didn't read it. But can you just tell me, please? I can't remember much about it." She pleaded.

"Why? What kind of situation are we talking about? Someone with a blood clotting disorder or–" Arthur began to ask as he presumed she was studying for her next assessment.

"Someone who has a medium sized bruise, otherwise health but needs ibuprofen for muscle pain." Zosia improvised. She supposed technically, menstrual pain was muscle pain because her uterus was a muscle.

"Within the first 8 hours of the injury, it's best to avoid NSAIDs just in case there is prolonged bleeding but after 8 hours, platelet function is returned to normal and NSAIDs are generally safe to use." Arthur explained clinically.

"Right… thanks." Zosia frowned before she sat up and began sorting through her bag which was near her feet.

"You're not seriously telling me you haven't been taking ibuprofen – despite being in immense pain – because of that bruise on your hand are you?" Dom protested gently as he watched her take out a box of the hospital's standard ibuprofen tablets – he, unlike Arthur, had seen right through her anonymous 'patient' questioning and realised she was suffering.

"My dad said something at the time about blood clotting and I just wasn't sure." Zosia explained before she swallowed two tablets as well as a short swig of water. "Anyway," she began as she laid back down under her sleeping bag. "What do you think we're doing tomorrow?" She asked. Given that her father hadn't told them about the rock climbing yet, she had no idea what she was going to go through the next day…


	9. Chapter 9

**Friday 7th November 2014**

In the morning, Guy rounded everyone up in the onsite restaurant which, in the morning, was used as a café and by 8am he managed to gather everyone together.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you'll be glad to know we don't have to pack up camp tonight – we'll be spending tonight here too." Guy stated. "However, we will be going off site for today's activity which is rock climbing." He announced and Zosia's heart skipped a beat when she heard the news because she knew that rock climbing equalled heights. "I shall tell you the teams later but for now, I want you to know that everyone must be ready with a packed lunch, a drink and a sturdy pair of trainers by the minibus at 9am." He stated.

* * *

Soon, the group began to break up as some went to order their breakfast whilst others, who had already eaten, went back to their tents but Colette noticed that Zosia had slipped away and she was heading for the toilets which were nearby.

"Zosia?"

"Leave me alone." She ordered as she entered the toilets and she stood by the sinks but Colette entered immediately after her.

"Listen sweetheart, I know you might be a bit apprehensive but–"

"Apprehensive? Colette, he's done this on purpose." Zosia argued. "First the high ropes course and now this? My 'father' obviously organised this trip so he could see how high he could raise my blood pressure. He's just been pretending to get on with me so that people don't gossip about him."

"No he hasn't been pretending and he certainly wouldn't book anything if he knew you didn't like it, honestly Zosia he'd forgotten about how much you hate heights. Look, I promised I wouldn't say but I don't want you two to fall out again so I suppose I have to..."

"Say what?" Zosia demanded.

"Once this trip is finished, your Dad is going to give you the money to get the train back to Holby so that you don't have to go through the travel sickness all over again in the minibus. He knows you might still feel a bit sick but it should be more bearable and besides, you could sleep the whole journey because you've got a cabin with a bed." Colette explained. "And he the cabins are for two people so he was going to let you take either me, Arthur or Dom with you." She added. "He can't because he has to drive the minibus."

"But two train tickets at the last minute from Inverness to Holby would be like five hundred pounds." Zosia protested.

"Zosia, your Dad doesn't have to worry about money – he's worried about how much you'd suffer if you were to go back on the minibus." Colette stated.

"That still doesn't make up for booking the rock climbing." Zosia grumbled.

"Well, he's trying." Colette reasoned. "Anyway, I'd better go and get ready but you can't tell your Dad I told you okay?"

"Mm." Zosia nodded.

* * *

After a safety and rule briefing, the group of ten had to kit up in a harness and helmet and then sit on the benches which weren't far away from the climbing wall to await further instruction.

"Right, I suppose I'd better explain the team building aspect of this challenge. Guy stated as he stood so that everyone could hear him. "I'm going to split you into two teams. Then, everyone is going to go on the climbing wall twice. For the first time, team one will get to choose who will go against who, then the second time, group two will choose. The total score will be out of 10 and the team that wins will receive, what I think is a really valuable prize." Guy explained. "The winning team will receive immunity from tomorrow's challenge which is another day of hiking, and it is about eleven or twelve miles. The team that wins will get a lift in the minibus to the next campsite and can relax or go into a nearby town whilst the losing team will face a few hours of hiking."

"What're the teams?" Colette asked.

"Ah um, team leaders are… Arthur and Jac." Guy stated. "In Arthur's team is Colette, Zosia, Jonny and Mo. Which leaves Sacha, Dom, Adele and myself in Jac's team. Are there any questions? No? Right, well then I want us to split into our teams and you need to decide who's racing who to the top." Guy ordered and so the two teams assembled at separate picnic benches in the forest clearing before they proceeded to discuss tactics.

"I'm going against Zosia." Guy declared. "Sorry Jac, no arguments. You've seen what she's like with heights, I need to do it with her." He stated as the red head tried to protest.

"Right, well that's him sorted." Jac huffed. "HCA, you reckon you can beat your sister?" Jac questioned.

"Course I can." Adele confirmed. "I've done rock climbing in Ib–"

"I didn't ask about your life story." Jac retorted. "So that leaves you two against either nurse Sheward or Dr Digby." Jac concluded.

"I presume you're taking on Jonny then." Sacha smirked "I'd like to take on Arthur." Sacha added once he received a look from his best friend which he could only define as an '_obviously' _look.

"Well then, that leaves me against Colette." Dom concluded, though he had already taken a dislike to his team leader – she was, as he had heard from Darwin nurses, being very 'Ms Naylorish' which was never a good thing.

"Oh, I forgot to add. Everyone has to write down their choices before anyone starts because otherwise the second team will have an advantage." Guy announced as he took out a notepad from his rucksack. He tore out a page and gave it, along with a pen, to the other team before he wrote down the choices for his team.

_Guy Vs Zosia_

_Adele Vs Mo_

_Colette Vs Dom_

_Jac Vs Jonny_

_Arthur Vs Sacha _

"I am _so_ not hiking 12 hours tomorrow." Zosia complained grumpily as she sat with Colette, Mo, Jonny and Arthur on another picnic bench.

"Well there's a simple solution." Arthur stated. "Just climb to the top as fast as you can."

"That's easier said than done." Colette replied sternly as she knew Zosia was absolutely petrified of the thought of climbing the wall that they could see. "Right, is there anyone who thinks they can beat someone for sure?" Colette asked.

"I want to go against Adele, I reckon I can beat her." Jonny stated.

"You not want to go against Jac?" Mo questioned.

"Nah, I know she'll beat me." Jonny protested. "But don't tell her I said that." He added quickly.

"Alright, I'll take on Jac." Mo nodded.

"Zosia, how about you race your Dad?" Colette suggested.

* * *

"Right, next up is me and you." Guy announced as he looked at his daughter. "Don't worry, I'm not racing you, we're going to do it together." He replied reassuringly as they stepped forward and the two instructors attached a line to their harnesses.

"Dad, please." Zosia whimpered. "Please don't make me do this."

"Zosia, you did the high ropes course and you did really well." Guy smiled. "What're you scared of? You're not going to get hurt; nothing's going to happen–"

"I know it's irrational." Zosia blurted. "I just can't help it."

"Okay. Just don't look down, keep going up and ring that bell at the top before me." He chuckled.

* * *

"Waheey!" Colette, Arthur, Mo and Jonny cheered and clapped their hands once Zosia had rung the bell at the top of the climbing wall. Somehow, her fear had meant she didn't want to spend more time off of the ground than she had to so she had sped up as fast as she could. But they couldn't see from the ground how panicked she had become because she had realised that she would soon have to descend.

"Dad?" Zosia shouted as she stared at one point on the wall in front of her and clung on for dear life – there was no way she was going to look down to see where he was.

"Well done Zosia." Guy congratulated as he soon caught up with her and then clambered onto the rocks besides her.

"Dad I can't get down." She mumbled.

"Of course you can–"

"No, Dad I really can't." She protested.

"Everything alright?" One of the instructors shouted up.

"Just give us a minute." Guy replied. "Zosia, all you have to do is lean back and you'll slowly go back down. You're not going to fall, I promise you." He said softly as he placed a hand on her back.

"No, I can't. I really can't. There's no way in hell that I am–"

"Alright, don't panic. It's alright." Guy reassured his daughter.

"Hang on a sec, I'm coming up." One of the instructors shouted and Guy frowned as he looked down to see the man walk around the corner and not come up the wall.

"It's okay." Guy whispered as he gently rubbed his hand up and down her back. Suddenly, he heard footsteps and he looked up to see the instructor standing behind the wall – they hadn't realised there was a set of stairs behind the wall and at the top was a platform, slightly lower than the wall which was used for abseiling.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"It's Zosia." Guy stated.

"Right, if you give me your hand Zosia, and climb over you can come down the stairs with me." He stated.

"Go on. I won't let you fall." Guy stated as he watched his daughter take the man's hand before she shakily climb up and over the wall and soon disappeared. Guy leant back and descended to the ground and once he had unclipped his harness, he went around the corner and greeted his daughter as she stepped down onto the ground. "Well done, you did really well." He whispered as he hugged her and he then mouthed a 'thanks' to the man who had brought her down. "You beat me and I didn't even have to let you win." He chuckled.

* * *

"You're going down Naylor." Jonny grinned as he and his partner prepared to begin the challenge.

"You do realise the purpose of this challenge is to go _up_ right?" Jac quipped.

"Yeah and whichever team loses, has to walk 12 miles tomorrow." He smirked. "Don't worry, I'll get the deep heat ready for when you finish."

"Shut up Maconie, you haven't got a chance in hell at beating me."

"Why not?" He protested.

"You're looking at someone who did rock climbing for 2 years at college so I had something to put on my university application." Jac retorted. "Aside from my grades of course." She added smugly.

"Come on Naylor." Sacha cheered.

"In your dreams. College for you was how many decades ago again?" Jonny grinned.

"Oi, watch it." She growled as she playfully hit him in the balls before she repositioned herself in front of the wall.

"Okay, on your marks, get set… go!"

* * *

"Maconie you just got spanked!" Mo laughed as the Scotsman walked back to the team bench whilst Jac did the same to her team.

"Yeah well, she's done it before." Jonny protested weakly.

"I haven't done it for like twenty odd years." Jac stated. "I hope you've got your walking boots worn in." She added smugly.

* * *

"We are the champions, my friends!" Adele and Dom sung as they got off of the minibus at the campsite car park. They were of course, in good spirits because Jac's team had won 7-3 which meant that she, Guy, Sacha, Dom and Adele didn't have to walk the next day. "And we'll keep on fighting–"

"Shut up. You sound like a pair of strangled cats." Zosia moaned.

"You're just annoyed because you have to walk tomorrow." He smirked. But once he noticed her hand on her abdomen and her pale skin, combined with her moodiness, he realised that her pain had returned once more. "Alright, sorry. Tell you what, Arthur you get the fire going, Zosia do whatever you want and I'll try and sort something out for dinner from the little shop near the restaurant." Dom smiled.

"Fine by me." Zosia huffed before she proceeded to go and throw on some more comfortable clothes i.e. a baggy hoodie, a pair of leggings and her UGG boots.

* * *

"What was it you said?" Jac asked as she and Jonny laid in their tent with the covers pulled on top of them after they had decided to call it a night of sitting around the fire. They were both on their sides with Jonny behind so he could wrap his arms around her. "I'll have the deep heat ready for you when you get back?"

"Alright, I was wrong. You're better than me at rock climbing." Jonny sighed. "Tell you what, how about in the morning, we share a shower and I'll make it up to you?" He suggested as he trailed the tips of his fingers along the side of her arm upwards until he tucked a bit of her long, wavy hair behind her ear.

"We'll have to go early so we don't get caught." Jac pointed out.

"We can go as early as you want." Jonny nodded eagerly.

"We'll get up at 5am." Jac stated.

"Okay, sure." Jonny nodded. As much as he didn't want to get up that early, he knew the experience would be far better than getting an extra hour's worth of sleep. "Night." He whispered as he kissed one of her incredible cheek bones before they both settled down for the night.


	10. Chapter 10

**Saturday 8th November 2014, 2am**

All was silent across the campsite in the early hours of the morning and so almost everyone was asleep. But unfortunately, one couple had no such luck. Jonny had been fast asleep moments ago but he woke when he felt his arm being moved and the woman whom he had been cuddling had moved. He could see through the small amount of moonlight penetrating their tent that she was going over to her bag, but the second he heard her groan, he stopped himself from asking if she was alright. She'd be embarrassed if she realised that she had woken him so he remained silent as she took some medication after he had heard the silver foil being broken on the tray of pills and then pulled on a pair of shoes before she exited the tent.

He laid there silently for several minutes until the poor woman returned but her eyes met his straight away and she knew he was awake.

"Come on." He whispered as he pulled back the unzipped sleeping bag that they were using as a cover and so she slowly got back down onto the ground and laid down in his arms. "We'll forget that shower together in the morning, don't worry." He said softly as he smoothed his hand up and down her flat abdomen. He knew her endometriosis caused her such agonising pain that it felt so bloody unfair every time he had to watch her go through it. But, she was such an incredible, magnificent woman that she dealt with it and just got on with life. "Are you warm enough?" He whispered in her ear because he knew if she was cold, the pain would usually be worse – it was at its most tolerable when she was curled up in her favourite armchair with a hot water bottle and with the central heating on. Not, when she was lying on a hard ground in a paper thin tent under only a sleeping bag. As expected, he received no response. "Jac?" He prompted but he knew from what she had told him before, when she was in pain the last thing she wanted to do was talk. "Don't worry. I'll have a word with Guy in the morning and tell him– "

"Don't you dare say anything." She finally spoke up.

"I was joking, I just wanted to hear you speak." Jonny replied reassuringly. "And on this occasion, I will let you blame this on Scotland seeing as you're feeling so poorly." He smirked.

"I'm not in the mood." She grumbled.

"Wow, you must be feeling bad." Jonny replied with a hint of sarcasm. And, as per usual, he laid there with her in his arms in silence until she managed to get back to sleep. He was only thankful that she didn't have to walk the 12 miles that day – instead she could relax.

* * *

**4am**

Guy stepped out of the toilet block after drinking too much water the night before but he paused once he realised his daughter was just coming out of the female toilets.

"You alright?" He asked kindly.

"Fine." She replied briefly.

"Er, Zosia just listen to me for a minute." He requested and the junior doctor, who had her hood up to keep her warm, stopped and stood on the spot.

"If you don't want to walk today, why don't you come in the minibus with me?" He suggested. "I'm sure you can get Arthur and Dom to play along, so we could just say you've got a stomach bug and been sick a few times in the night. You can sit in the front with me and it'll only be fifteen minutes or so in the car so your travel sickness shouldn't play up. What do you say?"

"Okay." She nodded exhaustedly.

"Are you alright? By the looks of things, we wouldn't need to lie about you being ill." He stated concernedly as he wondered what she was doing out of bed at this time in the morning.

"I'm fine. It's just women's problems." She admitted quietly.

"Oh right… Well all the more reason for you to give the walking a miss I suppose." Guy said sympathetically. "Just be ready by about 9am, and I'll put the heating on in the minibus to warm you up." He smiled. "Have you got enough covers in your tent?"

"I'm fine Dad." Zosia sighed. "I just want to go back to bed." She hinted.

"Of course, go on. After you." He offered before he followed his daughter back to their tents.

* * *

"Are you going to miss me?" Jonny asked with a mischievous grin as his partner and the rest of her team, plus Zosia, prepared to get on the minibus whilst Jonny and his group prepared a route on the map Guy had given them. Zosia was already sitting in the front seats with the heating on full blast to warm her up and everyone else had their bags and tents on the minibus because they thankfully didn't have to carry it whilst they walked.

"Like a hole in the head." Jac quipped.

"I don't suppose seeing as I'm going to be busy all day, you could possibly sort out dinner for us two could you?" He requested.

"We'll see." Jac replied sheepishly.

"But more importantly, make sure you eat something soon yeah?" He ordered gently though he received a roll of her eyes. "I know you're in pain but starving yourself isn't going to make you feel any better." Jonny pleaded.

"Who's starving themselves?" Guy asked confusedly as he greeted the couple.

"No one, she just skipped breakfast." Jonny improvised as he knew embarrassing her in front of her boss would more than likely result in him having to sleep in Adele and Mo's tent for a night or two.

"Oh well you can pop to the café quickly if you want, we're in no rush to leave." Guy offered.

"I'm fine." Jac huffed as she turned away from the two men, slid the side door open and climbed onto the minibus.

"Right well then, I think everyone's ready to leave." Guy stated. "Let's go." He announced and so Adele and Arthur jumped onto the minibus whilst Colette opened the passenger door and frowned when she realised Zosia was sitting on the seat at the edge whilst there were two seats in the front aside from the driver's seat.

"What're you doing on here?" Colette asked confusedly. As far as she knew, the junior doctor was on the losing team and was supposed to walk.

"She's got a bug; she was sick a few times in the night but it seems to have stopped. I just want to keep an eye on her." Guy explained as he jumped in the driver's seat. "Come on you, sit here so Colette can jump in." Guy said softly as he undid her seat belt and waited for Zosia to shuffle across into the middle seat.

"I've got some rehydration salts in my first aid kit if you want them." Colette suggested as she climbed in.

"She's already had some, but thanks." Guy said appreciatively. "Okay, let's get going."

* * *

"How could you possibly not have seen the bloody stream on the map?!" Jonny shouted at his best friend as they, Sacha and Dom stood in front of a stream leading into Loch Ness about two metres wide filled with rushing water.

"I thought the blue line was some hiking trail or something; it looked too thin to be a river." Mo argued. "Besides, you stink and you could do with a wash anyway." She quipped and Jonny just half-chuckled to himself before he focused on the task at hand.

"We could always walk down stream and see if it gets any smaller." Dom suggested.

"No, we could be going for miles." Jonny shook his head. "We'll have to build some sort of bridge across it. Let's try and find a tree that's fallen down or something." He suggested.

"Or we could just step across." Sacha suggested. "It doesn't look that deep."

"Well Jonny'll find out for us." Mo smirked as she stepped forward and shoved Jonny. He stumbled backwards, yelped, plunged a foot into a couple of inches of water before he jumped onto the other bank.

"I'm _so_ gonna get you back Maureen." Jonny warned.

"Yeah yeah, just help me over." Mo grinned.

* * *

"Well done lady and gentlemen." Guy announced as Mo, Jonny, Dom and Sacha arrived with rosy cheeks. All the tents were set up after the rest of the group had spent the day lounging around though some had done more than others. "Dom, I do believe there's Chinese food in your tent – well, if Zosia and Arthur have left you any." He quipped and the junior doctor quickly jogged over to the largest tent in the circle at the thought of food.

"Does that mean you've sorted something out for dinner sis?" Mo asked as she went over to the leopard print tent that had the door rolled up.

"Nah, I was waiting for you." Adele stated.

"Brilliant." Mo concluded sarcastically before she went over to her tent

* * *

"I'm really happy for you by the way." Sacha began as he assisted his best friend to set up her and her partner's tent. He was just putting the final few tent pegs in whilst Jac was standing there handing them to him one by one so she didn't have to get down on her knees and Jonny was busy having a shower. "Jonny's made you really happy." He added and Jac gave him a coy look before she spoke up.

"What about you? Got your eye on anyone?"

"You remember Essie? The nurse on Keller?"

"The idiot who brought negative press to the hospital, yes." Jac confirmed.

"She's not an idiot." Sacha chuckled. "Anyway, she's taking a break from nursing and she's abroad but we're keeping up a long distance relationship. We skype, we call each other, text… it's nice. I think I actually prefer a long distance relationship." He admitted.

"Oh dear." Jac sighed sarcastically. "Levy's smitten." She smirked.

"Says you!" Sacha protested.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jac demanded.

"Oh come on, if anyone should know, it's your best friend. I can tell you love Jonny." He stated.

"I don't l–" Jac suddenly stopped herself as she couldn't honestly say what she would automatically argue.

"You don't what?" Sacha asked with a mischievous grin as he stood up after putting in the final peg.

"I do." Jac muttered under her breath. "Sorry, I've got to go." She suddenly disappeared into the tent and zipped it up behind her. She hadn't realised until then, but she truly was in love with the Scotsman. She couldn't protest to her best friend and she couldn't say she didn't love Jonny when she couldn't go a single hour without thinking about him.

* * *

Jonny had just arrived back at his tent after having a shower and changing into some warm clothes when Jac grabbed him by the wrist and began dragging him across the field towards a forest.

"Woah, what's going on?" He demanded.

"You'll see in a minute." Jac stated and he continued to frown as he followed her into the forest until they reached a clearing where there was a picnic bench with a bottle of wine, two glasses and a large pizza in the middle.

"What's all this for?" Jonny asked confusedly as he tried to work out why she had gone to such trouble when she had never done such things before. But nevertheless, as she took a seat one side, he took a seat on the other side of the picnic bench.

"I um… I just had a bit of help to realise what I have." Jac replied disjointedly. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but you're always there for me when I need you, i.e. this morning, and I've just never had someone like you before… I also had a bit of help to realise that, I love you." She admitted. "Look I know I'm not good at all this touchy feely crap but it's the best thing I could think of at short notice and–"

"No, Jac. It's perfect." Jonny chuckled softly. "It's perfect." He repeated as he leant forward and kissed her gently on the lips. "Right, I am starving so let's eat this pizza before it goes cold." He declared.

* * *

"Right, now that we're all together, I promise this won't take long it's just about tomorrow." Guy stated as he sat in front of the crackling fire with Colette after he had requested that everyone come out of their tents for a moment. "We'll be doing an assault course so you'll need to be wearing clothing that can get muddy." He stated. "I want everyone packed up and ready to go by 8:30am. Okay, you can go. Actually, Zosia can I just have a word?" He requested as he got off of his folding chair and stepped aside with his daughter. "Are you alright?" He asked. "Only you've been in your tent most of the day."

"I'm fine Dad." Zosia sighed before she headed back to their tent and Guy went back and sat by the fire with Colette again.

"Is she alright?" The senior nurse asked curiously as she too had noticed that the junior doctor had been hidden away since they'd arrived at the campsite that morning.

"She's fine." Guy confirmed.

"So what's this assault course tomorrow going to be like?" She asked curiously.

"Well, it's forecast to rain tonight and if it does, I'd imagine that it'll be like a mud bath." Guy smirked.

* * *

"You're an incredible woman, you know that?" Jonny whispered as he laid with his partner in his arms as they settled down for the night after Jac had had a shower to warm her up with the company of Jonny to relax them after the long day. But given it was her time of month and the fact that Jonny had had a shower only hours ago, he merely sat on the bench outside of her cubicle and kept her company. "I know there're a lot of rumours about you but none of them are true… Once you get to know the real Jac Naylor, you're just brilliant. Granted, it's taken about two years since we met for me to get to know the real you." He grinned. "But it's all been worth it." He added. "Jac?" He prompted, but as he leant forward he realised that she had in fact fallen asleep in his arms. "Goodnight beautiful." He whispered before he snuggled his face into the back of her neck and he soon drifted off into a deep slumber.


	11. Chapter 11

**Sunday 9th November 2014**

The sun had begun to rise as the auburn haired consultant rolled over in the Scotsman's arms and then slowly opened her eyes to see him sleepily smiling at her.

"Morning." Jonny whispered as he tucked a bit of her long, wavy hair behind her ear. She had fallen asleep with her hood up, along with many layers – including Jonny's black hoodie – to keep warm however in her sleep, the hood had fallen down. "I am _so_ glad we had showers last night." He croaked. "It means we can stay here a wee bit longer until we have to get up."

"Just because you're in Scotland doesn't mean you can use Scottish dialect i.e. 'wee', around me." Jac grumbled which caused Jonny to chuckle.

"You know, you can be as sharp and icy as you want around everyone else but I'm the only one who knows how grumpy and cranky you always are first thing in the morning."

"Shut up." She huffed before she slowly sat up and ran her hand through her hair before she glanced at her watch. She then took out the box of prescription painkillers from under her pillow and swallowed two tablets dry.

"One to ten?" Jonny requested softly as he sat up beside her. He knew she'd be in some pain because she always was when it was her time of month but he did sometimes worry she was in more pain than she let on.

"Two." Jac replied sheepishly as she begun to remove her layers one by one so she could put clean clothes on.

"Right, okay. In human terms that'll probably be a six. But anyway, I'll let you get dressed and I'll go and boil some water for you to have a coffee." He smiled as he leant across and kissed her forehead before he climbed out of the tent and disappeared from her view.

* * *

Meanwhile, Zosia had just exited the shower/toilet block wearing only a checkered night shirt with a towel turban around her wet hair and a toiletry bag in her hand when she bumped into her father.

"Do you really thing that that's appropriate to be worn in public?" Guy complained as he could see far more flesh that he'd like and he knew it wasn't only the Holby group that were camping on the site so he, as her father, felt responsible for her wellbeing and safety.

"Shut up, I'm going to get changed in the tent." Zosia moaned as she didn't even slow her pace until she reached the junior doctors' tent where Dom was sorting through his bag whilst Arthur was still in the showers.

"Zosia, can I borrow your tweezers please? I've got a splinter in my finger." He grimaced as he pinched the tip of one of his fingers.

"Yeah sure." Zosia replied confusedly as she began to sort through her bag until she took out a pair of silver tweezers. "How did you even get a splinter?" She questioned.

"You don't want to know." He grinned before he focused on the task at hand: removing the splinter.

"Dom." Zosia sighed.

"What?" Dom protested innocently.

"Can I get dressed please?" She huffed.

"Oh, yeah sure." He nodded. "But don't forget to put on old-ish clothes. With this assault course thing, I bet we'll end up disgustingly filthy." He warned as he got to his feet, and zipped the tent shut behind him.

* * *

"Congratulations Jac, your team has triumphed again." Guy announced as the group of ten stood in boilers suits, caked in mud and soaked through to the bone. It had rained overnight, and rained in the morning whilst they were doing the assault course and so everyone was freezing cold and wet. Jac's team – Jonny, Sacha, Guy ad Dom – had beaten the other team and so they had won the beers. "Now, as you all know the numbers of showers at the campsites have been limited so far and I don't want riots when we get to tonight's campsite so I'm implementing a hierarchy for the showers." He stated. "Depending on how many they are, the winning team have priority, followed by the losing team." He explained.

"That's completely unfair!" Zosia protested.

"Well we'll just have to see how many showers there are there first." Guy stated. "Come on, boiler suits off and everyone onto the minibus." He ordered.

Everyone was waiting by the minibus for Guy to return as he was checking the number of showers. They were mostly freezing as they stood in vests or thin tops along with leggings or tracksuit bottoms, smeared with mud and those such as Zosia, Jac and Colette still had wet hair. They weren't going to set up their tents until they had showered and changed into clean clothes.

* * *

"Right, there's four men's showers, four women's showers. So myself, Sacha, Jonny and Dom are the first men to shower, as well as Jac and three women from the losing team." Guy announced.

"Shot gun it's me." Zosia, Mo and Adele said simultaneously.

"Well you're going to have to sort it out amongst yourselves." Guy chuckled as he glanced at Colette who he knew probably wouldn't mind waiting a bit longer.

"Go on you three." Colette nodded.

* * *

"Jonny, seeing as you're the first one ready can you get a fire going please?" Guy requested as he entered the changing room with a towel around his waist whilst he watched the Scotsman lift his hiking bag onto his back after he had already gotten dressed.

"Yeah sure." Jonny nodded. "They reckon it's gonna get near 0° tonight." Jonny stated before he walked out of the building into the field where it was already beginning to get dark, but he could just see a woman with long, damp hair and their grey NHS hoodie on walking towards the minibus so he jogged over to catch up with her. "Hey, you fancy helping me set up a fire?" Jonny asked as Colette and Arthur made their way over to the showers now that there were two spaces.

"If I must." Jac sighed as she grabbed their tent from the minibus whilst she kept her hiking bag on her back but Jonny noticed it was more of a defeated tone rather than her usual sharp quips.

"You alright?" He asked concernedly.

"What do you think?" She snapped. "It's bloody freezing."

"Of course." Jonny concluded sympathetically. He knew when she was cold, she often experienced far worse pain because she was less comfortable and she generally hated the cold anyway. Let alone when she could blame it on being forced to go to Scotland. "Nevermind about the fire. Come on, keep this on until we get the tent up to keep you out of the wind." He said softly as he pulled her hood up and tucked her long, damp hair inside of her hoodie. "I'll sort the fire out after." He stated as he took the tent out of her hand and they walked over to their empty pitch before he and Jac started to put their tent up.

* * *

"Good job Jonny." Guy smiled as he arrived to find a crackling fire not far from Jac and Jonny's tent and the Scotsman was still adding small branches to it.

"Thanks." Jonny replied as he put the last bit of wood on the fire before he disappeared into his tent. Guy then put his hiking bag and his tent bag on the ground when he turned around to see his daughter carrying over her bags.

"Would you like some help with your tent?" He offered as he was sure the junior doctors' large tent would be difficult to put up singlehandedly.

"Yes please." Zosia smiled gratefully as she dumped her bags on the ground.

"So are you enjoying this trip?" He asked curiously as they began to get the poles and pegs out of the tent bag but he received a raise of her eye brow and a sarcastic look from her. "Alright let me rephrase that: the purpose of this trip was to get everyone here working together and getting on together more. Do you think it has worked?" He queried.

"I think it's scared the living daylights out of me on more than one occasion." Zosia quipped.

"Seriously Zosia, I need to know if it'll be worth doing something like this again."

"I don't know." Zosia admitted honestly. "Some things have been fun like the assault course but it's just the weather and the camping. No one's enjoying sleeping on the floor and the entire time we've been here, it's been freezing cold."

"So maybe something in the summer would be better." Guy concluded. "I mean, the only reason we've come here in November is because Darwin and Keller are being refurbished _now_ and the revamp had been scheduled for months. I thought it'd be good to do this as opposed to having you all work in different areas while the wards are closed." He stated.

"If you wanted to make it _even _better, next time you could do something abroad." Zosia suggested cheekily.

"And of course the board would cough up the cash for that." Guy replied sarcastically. "Just remind me once I've done this, I've got to get the winning team's beers out of the minibus. You can have mine again." Guy stated.

* * *

Jac was sitting in her tent with a blanket around her shoulders to keep her warm when Jonny entered the tent with eight bottles of beer – they had each won four for being part of the winning team. She briefly glanced up as he put them by the entrance of their tent before she looked back down at her phone which she had just turned off to save the battery.

"You can drink you know." She finally spoke up as he came and sat next to her.

"I don't want to drink alone." Jonny replied innocently. She couldn't drink because of her medication and so she had already given her other beers to Mo after she had agreed no questions asked as to why she wasn't drinking them and she had shared them with her sister.

"Well then go and drink with Mo and Adele."

"No, I don't want to." Jonny chuckled. "You know you'll be a lot warmer if you come and sit by the fire." He advised.

"I don't want to." Jac mumbled. "My hair'll go smoky and Saucer and that lot are out there."

"Zosia." Jonny corrected. "Right, what do you want to do for dinner?" He asked. "Would you like to go to a restaurant or a takeaway or we could get something healthier from a supermarket."

"I don't want a big meal, I'm not that hungry." She admitted before she ran her hand through her hair and then she pulled the blanket around her tighter.

"You'll be feeling better in a few days." Jonny whispered before he kissed her on the cheek. "Just tell me anything you fancy and I'll see what I can get. Sandwich, salad, pasta…?" He suggested.

"Pasta sounds good." Jac nodded.

"Alright, I'll see what I can do."

* * *

"Zosia, I think you've had enough." Guy stated as he prised the unopened bottle of beer that she had just picked up out of her hand. The Keller group minus Sacha were all sitting around the fire with darkness surrounding them and it was beginning to get late.

"Spoilsport." Zosia slurred as she clambered up and stumbled over to the box containing the rest of the beers but Dom quickly got up and stood in her way. He, Arthur, Guy and Colette had watched her drink far more than the rest of them but because she had consumed them so quickly, it hadn't been until half an hour later that they had begun to take effect. And unfortunately, they took effect all at once. "I need the toilet." She announced drunkenly before she turned around and proceeded to vomit onto the grass in front of her.

"Right come on, go to the bathroom with Colette and then I think it's time you hit the sack." Guy declared as he stood up and placed a hand on her back whilst he avoided the pool of vomit.

"I miss Mama." She mumbled before she wrapped her arms around her father and Guy had to carefully manoeuvre her away from the puddle before he gave her a proper hug and his heart broke as she began to cry. "I miss her so much."

"I know you do Zoshie." Guy whispered as he rubbed her back up and down before he glanced at Colette over his shoulder and mouthed 'can you take her to the toilets?'.

"Come on Zosh." Colette ordered sternly yet softly as she took one of her hands and began to lead her over to the toilet block and the men could only watch as Zosia began rambling on to Colette about god-knows what.

"Boys can you keep an eye on her for me tonight?" Guy requested awkwardly.

"Yeah sure." Arthur nodded eagerly.

"And put plenty of blankets on her; it's supposed to get cold tonight and she's so out of it she probably won't feel the cold." He advised.

"Yeah sure, we'll make sure she's alright." Dom stated as he gathered the empty bottles of beer and put them in a pile together until Zosia returned with Colette.

"She's just been sick again so watch it." Colette warned the two other junior doctors as Zosia stumbled across the grass.

"Zosia, that's the wrong tent." Dom shouted as he quickly ran over to the Effanga sisters' tent and lead Zosia over to her own tent.

"They've got their work cut out." Colette smirked as she stood with Guy whilst he watched them get his daughter into her tent and then they tried to settle her down.

"Do you think she was trying to get drunk?" Guy asked concernedly. "It's just with what she said about Anya, she sounded really down."

"I'm sure you've dealt with enough drunken patients to know that they'll talk about literally anything when they're out of it." Colette stated. "She probably wasn't trying to get drunk, she was just having too much of a good time to stop."

"Right, I'd better get some rest, I'm knackered after today." He admitted.

"Yeah, see you in the morning." Colette yawned before they all called it a night and fell asleep listening to Arthur and Dom as they argued with Zosia and told her to stop talking and go to sleep….


	12. Chapter 12

**Monday 10th November 2014**

"Did you wake in the night because of the cold?" Jonny asked sleepily after opening his eyes to see Jac lying beside him checking her phone.

"No." She replied bluntly and she smiled as Jonny leant across and planted his lips on hers. He kissed her gently for a few moments before he pulled away to see her squinting her eyes at him. "You need a shave." She informed him.

"Thanks." Jonny said sarcastically before he leant in to kiss her again and that time, she was the first to pull away.

"Go and shave." She ordered before she reached under her pillow and took her morning dose of painkillers. "See? I'm not always grumpy in the morning." She smiled sarcastically.

"I know; it's not _just _in the mornings, you're just _always_ grumpy." Jonny quipped.

* * *

"Good morning sleeping beauty." Dom grinned after Zosia had briefly opened her eyes before she quickly closed them as the light had caused her eyes to sting. It was raining outside and they could hear it falling on the tent but to Zosia, the quiet drips of water were like a mallet pounding her skull. "Got a bit of a sore head have we?" He asked innocently.

"What happened last night?" She groaned as she pulled Dom's pillow over her head.

"You drank too much, puked twice and then insisted on behaving like a little brat because you refused to go to sleep until like midnight." Dom stated.

"My Dad didn't see did he?"

"Of course he did. Then you started having an emotional breakdown in his arms before Colette had to take you to the toilet." Arthur stated and he jumped as she tent door was unzipped and Colette jumped in before she took the hood of her waterproof coat down.

"Did I hear my name?" She smiled.

"Yeah, we were just telling Zosia about what happened last night." Dom smiled evilly as he tried to remove the pillow from Zosia's face but she wouldn't let go of it.

"Right well I just came to tell you it's been raining all night so make sure you wear suitable shoes for today – I don't know what we're actually doing yet but it's bound to be outside. I also came to check on Zosia." She stated.

"Go away." She moaned.

"Zosia if you don't get up soon you'll be the one that everyone's waiting for." Colette warned. "I could always go and get your Dad to throw some cold water on you." She teased as she knew her Dad used to do that when Zosia wouldn't get up in the mornings for school when she was younger.

"Go on then." Zosia grumbled before she turned on her side, faced the side of the tent with her back to everyone else and then she pulled the sleeping bag up over her head.

"Right, I'll go and get Guy then." Colette stated as she pulled her hood up and quickly jogged to Guy's tent through the rain where she found him lying in his sleeping bag despite him usually being an early riser. "Guy?" She demanded.

"Ssshhh." He whispered.

"What is it?" Colette asked worriedly before her eyes fell upon the boxes of aspirin and codeine, and paracetamol besides his pillow. "Migraine?"

"Mm." He confirmed simply as he kept his eyes firmly closed. "Is… is Zosia alright?" He croaked.

"Yeah, don't worry about her. She's got a headache but she'll be fine in a little while." Colette said softly.

"Col, I can't drive today." Guy stated.

"I know. What was we supposed to be doing today?"

"Hiking."

"Right well that's not really an important team building activity, Zosia's in pain, you're in agony, it's raining and has been all night so I think we should skip the walking and go straight to the next campsite." Colette stated.

"I don't know…"

"Guy, we have to."

"But who will drive the minibus?" Guy asked quietly. "No one else has a license for it."

"I'll ask around, I'm sure someone has driven something big before and if not, I'm sure someone will be willing to drive it anyway. It's not far is it?"

"About 15 miles." Guy stated.

"Right well, just leave it to me. Get ready in your own time and once you're ready, go and sit in the back of the minibus." Colette smiled sympathetically.

* * *

After trying Sacha and the Effanga sisters, Colette ran through the rain and hopped into Jac and Jonny's tent where the couple were just rolling up their sleeping bags.

"Ah, right. Guy's having a migraine so he can't drive, plus no one wants to walk in this rain today so I'm looking for a volunteer to drive everyone in the minibus to the next campsite." Colette explained. "It's not far, but you would be driving without a special license so there is a minute chance you could get into trouble but otherwise we'll have to sit in the minibus for the day because we have to be off of this pitch this morning."

"Well, if you can't find anyone else, I'll do it." Jonny offered.

"Well it'll be you then because it's either you or one of the junior doctors – only one of whom has a driving license – and somehow, I think you're the best man for the job." Colette stated.

"Right, okay. What time do we need to be ready by?"

"In about twenty minutes or so. Thanks Jonny." Colette said gratefully.

"No problem."

* * *

"I still think you're an idiot for doing this." Jac stated as she sat in the front of the minibus with Jonny who sat in the driver's seat.

"Well it's not much different from driving a car is it? It's just a bit bigger and heavier." Jonny shrugged whilst he continued to get used to the layout of the vehicle and he waited for everyone else to get on board. Guy was already sitting towards the back with his head hung between his shoulders and his eyes squeezed shut when Zosia climbed on with her hood up and a pair of dark sunglasses on.

"I'm sorry." Zosia apologised as she slowly sat down in the seat next to him.

"For what?" Guy croaked.

"It's my fault you've having a migraine and we both know it–"

"What? No, Zosia how could this possibly be your fault?"

"Your migraines are usually caused by stress and I can imagine I was probably a pain in the backside to look after last night. Plus… Dom said I started crying and saying things about Mama so I'm sorry for stressing you out."

"Zosia, I have a stressful job. You drinking a little bit more than you should have didn't cause me any stress." Guy stated. "Sometimes I just have migraines for no obvious reason, you shouldn't blame yourself."

"You're not going to be sick are you?"

"No." Guy replied adamantly. "And we shouldn't be travelling long enough for your travel sickness to play up either." He added.

"Mm, I'm tired." Zosia huffed as she pulled her seatbelt on and then snuggled up into her dad's side so he put his arm around her shoulders.

"Me too sweetheart, just get some rest." Guy whispered before he lightly kissed her forehead. His head was pounding with every move he made and he could barely see straight because any source of light caused further intense pain.

* * *

"Are you impressed?" Jonny asked as he turned the engine of the minibus off after he had parked in the car park perfectly and safely driven them to their new campsite.

"Mm, what do you want? A gold star?" She retorted as she climbed out. The journey had been pretty silent because Zosia was catching up on some sleep after the night before and Guy – though he couldn't sleep – was resting with his daughter snuggled into his side.

"We'd better leave her there for a while." Dom stated as he and Arthur got off of the vehicle. "She set the tent up for us yesterday so I suppose it's our turn."

"We'd better do Mr Self's tent as well because he helped Zosia and I don't think he's well enough to put a tent up by himself." Arthur stated quietly as they began to get their bags onto their backs.

"Do you fancy doing my tent too?" Colette asked cheekily.

"In your dreams – what was it Fletch called you? - Collywobbles?" Dom grinned.

"Forget I asked." Colette concluded before she quickly escaped the situation as she hated her pet name her ex gave her.

* * *

Soon, Zosia began to stir and she looked up to see her Dad looking down on her and the rest of the minibus was empty.

"How long have we been here for?" She asked before she rubbed her eyes.

"Not long." Guy replied. "How're you feeling?"

"Better." Zosia smiled as the headache had almost disappeared thanks to the rest and the paracetamol she had taken. "What about you?"

"It'll still last another few hours yet." Guy sighed.

"Come here. I read somewhere that this is supposed to help with migraines." Zosia stated as she sat up, turned to face her father properly and she began slowly massaging his temples with her index and middle finger of each hand on each side. She continued for a further few minutes until she stopped and her father opened his eyes for once.

"Thanks, that did relieve some pressure." He smiled. "Now come on then, we'd better think about joining the others." He advised and so Zosia stood up before she helped her Dad to stand up and get down from the minibus and onto the pavement.

"What're we doing tomorrow?" Zosia asked curiously.

"Um… oh, we're doing a raft building activity on Loch Ness, it's not far from here." He stated. "Though if this migraine hasn't budged, I won't be able to go. I can barely move without my head pounding even worse." He grimaced as they walked the short distance across the soggy field where they met the rest of the group.

"Well you go and have a lie down." Zosia ordered as she saw that his tent had been set up. "What do you want for lunch?" She asked. "I skipped breakfast so I'm quite hungry and I can sort something out for us."

"Um… thanks darling but I'm not hungry. Maybe some soup for dinner if it gets a bit better but it depends, sometimes these migraines can last over 24 hours for me." Guy replied honestly.

"Okay."

"You know you were crying about your mother last night–"

"Dad I was out of it." Zosia protested.

"Yes but, you do know you can talk to me about anything yeah? Including your mother. And you can always come back home and go through your mums things if you'd like to. I've been meaning to tidy the loft out and you could help. I'm sure a lot of Mama's stuff from when she was younger is up there including her wedding dress."

"Really?"

"Mm."

"I'd like that." Zosia smiled at the thought of being able to touch the dress that her mother wore on such an important day.

"Zosh, the tent's ready if you want to lie down." Dom announced whilst Guy slowly walked over to his tent.

"Thanks, I don't feel too bad now I just didn't want to put the tent up." She grinned.

* * *

Jonny was beginning to get bored as he sat in his tent with Jac, who was doing some work on her iPad when he had an idea.

"I think I'm gonna try and find a laundrette around here and get some of my clothes cleaned. Do you want to sort out some dirty stuff of yours and I'll do yours too?" He suggested.

"Do you want to check where a laundrette is first?" She asked as she offered him her phone.

"Thanks." He nodded as he used her internet whilst she sorted out some of her used clothes that she wanted to wear again soon. "Oh and give me my hoodie that you've borrowed, that must need washing."

"Oh so just because I've slept in it, it means it needs washing?" Jac demanded.

"Jac you've slept in it for the last week." Jonny laughed as she threw the black hoodie at him.

"You do know you need to separate the lights, colours, darks, etc don't you? You can't just throw it all in."

"Despite the fact that I spend most of my time at your place, you do realise I have lived by myself for quite a long time; I think I know how to do the washing." Jonny stated with a hint of sarcasm.

* * *

"How is he?" Colette asked as Zosia exited Guy's tent after she had offered him a simple pasta and tomato sauce meal she had made.

"He hasn't eaten all day and he won't eat anything for dinner even if I cook it." Zosia moaned as she join the rest of her colleagues out by the fire that was crackling away.

"I don't blame him." Dom quipped. "I've tasted your cooking… Joking!" He protested quickly as he knew she would threaten to hit him where no man should be hit.

"Zosh, he's not well. Just give him some more time. You know what his migraines are like." Colette advised the junior doctor.

"Whatever."

"Do you remember that migraine that lasted nearly two days when me you, mamma and him were having Christmas together?" Colette asked.

"Yeah. He spent all day in bed and thankfully, Mama had to cook Christmas dinner instead of him so we didn't have to eat his cooking." Zosia retorted. "You do think he's okay though? This isn't out of the ordinary is it–"

"Zosia don't be worried. He's fine, he just needs some rest." Colette stated reassuringly.

* * *

"Here is the cleaned and dried washing," Jonny announced as he dumped a large hiking bag inside of the tent. "And here is dinner." He stated as he handed her a carrier bag containing a ready made salad each and two fruit smoothies from a local café. "So I've technically done the washing and the cooking." He smirked. "Could you possibly find a better man?" He asked rhetorically.

"Yeah, I could find one without Scottish Nurse DNA." Jac quipped.

"Ooh, you weren't here earlier when Zosia said what we're doing tomorrow. We're raft building." He announced as he sat down next to her and they got their salads out. He promptly ignored her racist quip as he knew if she got satisfaction from it, she was bound to continue.

"That sounds freezing." Jac grumbled and Jonny then noticed that she had goose bumps on her arms so he pulled his black hoodie out of the clean clothes bag.

"Here. Wear this." He ordered – not that she needed telling as she pulled it on straight away before she continued eating her salad with a plastic fork. They ate in a comfortable silence when Jonny suddenly looked up after hearing Jac quietly gasp and she had grimaced and clutched her abdomen. However, the pain quickly disappeared and Jac looked up to see Jonny's sad eyes looking at her.

"What?" She demanded exasperatedly.

"I just wish there was something more we could do about your pain." Jonny admitted. "Doesn't it annoy you that you're a doctor and you still can't do anything?"

"There isn't a cure for everything." Jac shrugged. "There's nothing more I can do and I can deal with it."

"I know you can." Jonny replied appreciatively as he tried his best to understand how high her pain threshold was. "Tell you what, how about after eating this we have an early night?" He suggested. "By the sounds of it, we're going to need plenty of energy for tomorrow."

"Mm. We've barely done anything all day and I'm knackered." Jac admitted.

"That'll be because you haven't had a good night's sleep in a comfortable bed or a relaxing bath since we left Holby." Jonny stated.

"Do you reckon Guy would let us spend a night in a B&amp;B nearby if I paid for it?" Jac asked as she thought about the real possibility of doing such a thing – sleeping on the floor really wasn't a comfortable option given that her endometriosis gave her enough hassle as it was.

"I'm not sure." Jonny smirked. "I suppose it's worth a try asking him in the morning." He added.

"Mm." Jac nodded in response, but it left her wondering if it would be best not to tell Guy and for her and Jonny to simply sneak away and spend the night in a comfortable room with central heating… Could they possibly get away with it?


	13. Chapter 13

**Tuesday 11th November 2014**

Guy slowly opened his eyes as he awoke after hours and hours of rest, but he appeared stumped when he realised that in the small tent, besides him laid his daughter. She was facing down with her forehead resting on her arms in front of her where she had been keeping a bedside vigil but she had eventually fallen asleep. He smiled as he realised she must've been concerned about him, yet he was worried because he was cold and he had slept in a sleeping bag whereas she was only in her clothes with her hood up over her head. He was also relieved that the migraine had passed. He was still tired, but he no longer had a debilitating headache.

He slowly sat up and grabbed a blanket before he laid it over his daughter, but within seconds she opened her eyes and let out a sigh of relief that he was sitting up and appeared well, but she was also embarrassed about what her worries had made her do.

"How're you feeling?" She asked civilly.

"Much better." Guy smiled. "Did you spend all night there?" He asked curiously.

"I was worried." Zosia admitted. "You were out of it for hours, you didn't eat anything for the whole day and I didn't think sleeping on the hard ground out in the freezing cold would be any good for you." She explained.

"Well, thanks for your concern. But don't worry. Give me a couple of days and I'll be back to normal; I just need some rest." He replied reassuringly.

"What're we doing today?" Zosia asked as she had a good stretch of her arms and back after sleeping in a cramped position.

"We are building rafts in teams. And then you will have to race about 100m in Loch Ness with some or all of the team members on it. I'm not sure of all the details." Guy stated. "Have you got any preference on team members?" He asked.

"You, Colette, Arthur and Dom?" Zosia requested.

"I'll see what I can do." Guy replied sheepishly. "Go on, go and get ready."

* * *

Jac, Jonny and Sacha sat at a picnic bench mere meters from the edge of Loch Ness as they created a plan for their raft on a notepad provided by the company running the activity. Each team had twenty minutes to plan but whilst those three were hard at work, Mo was busy laughing at Adele who was trying to spot the Loch Ness Monster and the other team were sitting a little while away at another bench and were clearly working together more as a team. They each had a pile of materials they were allowed to use from lengths of old rope to large empty water containers.

"I can draw if you want now that you've written down everything." Sacha offered.

"Knock yourself out." Jac replied as she turned the notepad around and gave it, along with a pencil, to him before she got out her phone. After a few minutes, she showed the screen to Jonny who was sitting next to him and he grinned like the cat that got the cream.

"Looks great." He smiled.

"What does?" Sacha asked curiously. Jac and Jonny exchanged a look before Jonny broke the silence.

"We'd better tell someone just in case they look for us. We can trust Sacha." Jonny stated.

"Go on then." Jac sighed.

"We're gonna spend the night in a hotel." Jonny stated. "It's local but it'll have heating, hot water, a nice warm bed, a cooked breakfast etc. I think the weather is taking its toll on us; one night of luxury will work wonders I'm sure." He explained.

"You think I'm going to believe you're going to stay in a hotel alone so that you can have a cooked breakfast?" Sacha laughed.

"Honestly Sacha, it's really not for what you're thinking of." Jac sighed.

"You are looking a bit tired." Sacha stated concernedly.

"Thanks." Jac replied sarcastically.

"Just don't tell anyone yeah? We're gonna try and sneak off once it gets dark which should be around 7pm." He stated.

"Yeah sure." Sacha nodded. "I don't suppose you could bring me a coffee when you come back in the morning could ya?" He asked cheekily.

"Sure thing mate." Jonny nodded.

"There!" Adele proclaimed which got everyone's attention as she pointed across the lake.

"Adele that's a bloody tour boat." Mo smirked after she had squinted her eyes to see the black and grey object.

* * *

"Right, each team needs one volunteer to paddle 100m on the raft." Guy announced. "The instructor will take you out on the lake on a boat, and then you will both have to race back."

"Jac's the lightest." Mo declared.

"Funny Maureen." Jac quipped.

"What? Oh come on Jac, we need the lightest person to go across." Adele stated.

"Well tough luck because I know for a fact that raft'll sink no matter who goes on it so it is not going to be me." Jac stated adamantly.

"I'll go." Jonny smiled.

* * *

"Well done sweetheart." Guy said appreciatively as his daughter stepped back onto dry land though she was dripping wet. Both rafts had sunk not long after they had begun but Zosia's raft had lasted slightly longer. Then, she and Jonny had been rescued by the motor boat and taken ashore.

"I failed." She protested as she began to take her buoyancy aid off.

"No, you did your best." Guy corrected and once he realised her hands were too cold to undo the zip and the straps, he helped her to take off the buoyancy aid which was soaked. "Right you lot, we can talk later but I think it's best if we head back now so Jonny and Zosia can get changed and have a shower. Plus it's beginning to get dark." Guy announced as he glanced over to see the Scotsman who had taken his coat and jumper off until he was just in a plain navy blue t-shirt but because it was wet, it clung to his chest.

"Why did I agree to do that?" Zosia stuttered as her teeth chattered and she felt goose bumps form all over her body.

"Come on, get as many layers off as you can without undressing and we can get going." Guy ordered.

"Zosh, come with me to the toilets. I've got two jumpers on so you can wear one of mine and take all your wet shirts and base layers off." Colette said softly.

"I'll go and bring the minibus round." Guy nodded before he jogged off towards the car park.

"Right now, the only thing that is keeping me going is the thought of that heated bed and breakfast tonight with a nice hot shower." Jonny said quietly as he took off his first jumper and let it drop to the ground.

"Me too." Jac admitted. "I'm freezing just standing here."

"Right well it is starting to get dark now so I reckon if we get to the new campsite, set our tent up, then we can grab our bags and call a taxi and go yeah?" Jonny suggested.

"Mm." She nodded.

* * *

"Here's your jumper." Zosia announced as she handed the grey hoodie to the head of nursing who was sitting by the fire with her colleague.

"Oh, thanks." Colette smiled. "Did the shower warm you up?"

"Yeah, there aren't any hair dryers though so when the wind blows, my head gets really cold." Zosia grumbled as she stood with her hands in her hoodie pockets and her hood up over her damp hair to provide some sort of protection from the harsh Scottish winds.

"Go and settle down for the night in your tent then." Guy suggested. "That's what I'm going to do; those migraines knock the life out of me." He admitted exhaustedly as he stood up and stretched his back out.

"Night." Zosia said quietly before she walked up to her father and buried her head in his chest. Guy gave a content smile at Colette as he put his arms around his daughter's back and hugged her until she slowly stepped back.

"Night night." Guy whispered and he smiled as he watched her go over to her tent and then zip herself in with her flatmates. "I am so glad I organised this trip." Guy admitted.

"So am I. There's no longer an icy chill in the room whenever you two meet." Colette quipped.

* * *

Jonny had been sitting on the floor in front of the heater in his old shirt and pyjama bottoms when Jac exited the bathroom in plain black tracksuits, white shirt and a cardigan ready for bed after she had had an incredibly relaxing, scalding bath – just the way she liked them.

"This was a brilliant idea." Jonny smiled. "You're looking much better." He added as she walked over and sat next to him in front of the source of heat. She no longer looked pale because of the cold, disheartened at the thought of another night on the floor or just exhausted in general.

"Well, we haven't had a phone call from Sacha saying 'I accidently told Guy you've got to come back now'." Jac said sarcastically. "So I think we've gotten away with this."

"Mm… What do you want to do for breakfast in the morning?" He asked curiously. "Because we've got to get Sacha his coffee. Shall we try and find a café somewhere nearby?"

"I think I could murder for a double expresso and a fruit salad in the morning."

"Well that's what you'll get." Jonny smiled as he put his arm around her shoulders. They sat in each other's company for a little while longer as they enjoyed the radiating heat when Jonny noticed that the consultant was beginning to yawn rather frequently. "Right, come on. We'll have to get up early so we'd better have an early night." He ordered as he stood up and gave her a hand up also.

"Do you reckon we could get away with doing this every night for the rest of the holiday?" Jac grinned as she pulled back the thick duvet and they both climbed into bed.

"Not _every _night. Maybe once more in a couple of days' time." Jonny smirked. He laid on his side behind her and put his arm around her abdomen. "We could have a spectacular sexual fireworks show." He chuckled.

"Mm. You do realise that that's probably what Sacha thinks we booked this B&amp;B for tonight, right?" Jac quipped.

"Who cares? All that matters is we're the ones in a king sized bed with central heating and he's the one sleeping on a cold hard floor tonight with a sleeping bag." Jonny retorted. "Goodnight." He whispered before he kissed her behind the ear and they both settled down for the night.


	14. Chapter 14

**I wish you all a happy and healthy new year!**

* * *

**Wednesday 12th November 2014**

"Where have you guys been?" Guy asked as he watched Jac and Jonny arrive on the campsite via the car park entrance and Jonny had a large bag on his back.

"IiidnfmendWe went out for breakfast while we had some washing done." Jonny improvised as he knew Jac was carrying a disposable cup of steaming coffee for Sacha so it would look believable.

"Oh right."

"What ridiculous activity are we doing today?" Jac asked bluntly.

"Not much. We've just got about half an hour of driving and then tonight everyone will spend the night around a big campfire, we'll have some booze, a BBQ and a sort of pub quiz." Guy explained as he ignored her insult about the activities being ridiculous – he knew she was only there because she didn't want to work on maternity but all the same she had done rather well at the activities even if she hadn't tried very hard.

"Sounds fun." Jonny smiled. "Who's the quiz master?" He asked curiously.

"I'm not sure yet. I'll have to decide later. Why? Are you offering?" Guy asked.

"No, I just want to know who to bribe." Jonny joked.

* * *

"Right, how would you three like to come shopping with me and Colette?" Guy asked the junior doctors who were sitting in the café on site.

"I'm alright thanks." Zosia replied with frown.

"You three can be in charge of the booze for tonight. And money will be taken care of." Guy stated.

"I'm ready." Dom declared as he jumped to his feet.

"Yeah, I thought that might make you want to come." Guy concluded. "But after the other night, _you_ need to go easy on the booze." He said sternly to his daughter as the three junior doctors stood up and began to head back to their pitch so they could grab a coat.

"Trust me, I will." Zosia stated as she grimaced at the thought of her throbbing headache two days earlier as well as what she had been told she'd done in front of her friends and colleagues.

* * *

"Right, Guy's just told me us five need to sort out who wants to be quiz master." Sacha announced after he had rounded up Jac, Jonny, Mo and Adele whilst the other five had gone shopping.

"I will." Adele offered.

"Then you'll need to come up with the questions as well." Sacha stated. "And Guy said he wants the whole quiz to be on medical knowledge." He added.

"Oh…"

"Maybe you and Mo could do it together. Then the teams won't be uneven." Sacha suggested.

"That's that sorted then." Jac concluded before she headed back over to her tent.

"Please put some impossible questions on there so that Jac can't answer them because it'll really get on her nerves." Jonny smirked before he followed after her.

"Right come on. Let's go and plan it." Mo ordered.

"What? We don't need to do it yet." Adele protested. "We've got hours."

"Yeah, only a couple." Mo stated bluntly as she grabbed her sister by the arm. "Come on."

* * *

"Right, we'll go and sort out the BBQ stuff if you three go and sort out the drinks." Guy stated as the five stood in the entrance of a large supermarket with two trolleys.

"Okay." Arthur nodded.

"But make sure you get some soft drinks." Guy added sternly. "Not everyone will be drinking."

"Got it." Zosia replied briefly.

"And don't forget you've got to carry it back."

"I still don't see why we didn't bring the minibus." Arthur admitted.

"Where's your sense of adventure Arthur? We're in the highlands to get some fresh air." Colette said with a hint of sarcasm as she too had wished they had come by the minibus. "Which is why we're in a busy supermarket." She added quietly. Guy heard her but he just smirked.

"Go on, off you go." He ordered the junior doctors before he and Colette took a trolley to the bakery area to get plenty of hot dog buns and burger rolls.

* * *

After a satisfying meal, everyone was sat on folding chairs around the crackling fire as the darkness had already set in.

"Right ladies, let's get this quiz underway. I'll leave the teams to you." Guy said to Adele and Mo.

"Well, we decided the teams are Jac, Guy, Arthur and Sacha. And in the second team is Jonny, Colette, Dom and Zosia." Adele announced as she and Mo stood and moved their chairs to one area of the fire and they sat down with their notepad that they had written the questions in.

"Right, here's your paper and a pen. And I want you to sit in your groups." Mo ordered as she flung some sheets and a pen at Jonny and at Sacha before she waited for everyone to move seats, though they did have to take their drinks with them which had been in their cup holders on the arms of the chair.

"Naylor and Levy incorporated is reunited." Sacha smiled as he sat next to his best friend who was taking a sip from her bottle of water. "Are you not feel very well?" He asked concernedly.

"Why?" Jac asked defensively.

"There's free booze and you seem to be the only one not drinking." Sacha stated. "Unless you're…" He trailed off as he glanced at her abdomen.

"What? No! No, I'm not." Jac protested immediately. "I just don't drink that much, you know me." She replied. In reality, she wasn't drinking because she was taking painkillers for her endometriosis and despite Sacha being a trustful, kind man she felt it wasn't required for him to tell her such things.

"No, but I haven't seen you drink this entire trip." He stated.

"Drinking isn't a necessity Sacha. _I'm_ not drinking this evening." Guy said as he detected the auburn haired consultant was feeling uncomfortable.

"Alright, never mind." Sacha shrugged.

"Anyway, I'm sure we're going to win this because I told Mo and Adele to do the quiz about medicine and they haven't exactly divided the teams evenly have they?" Guy remarked. "Two consultants, a specialist registrar and a CT1 against two nurses and two F2s."

"Maybe it's not all about medicine." Adele teased as she and Mo stood up with their notepad.

"But I said a medical quiz." Guy protested.

"Yeah, but when we're all medical professionals, it's hardly a challenge is it?" Mo argued. "We thought there would be more teamwork if we challenge you lot outside of your comfort zone."

"Oh no." Sacha smirked.

"We've got ten individual topics, and there are ten questions in each one." Adele stated. "But before we begin, everyone give me your phones, ipods and anything similar." She ordered as she got out a small plastic basket she had found in the minibus which had been used for important documents which were now in the glove compartment.

"And whilst Adele collects those, I'll read out the names of the topics." Mo announced. "Georgraphy, TV and Film, Foreign Languages, Spelling, The World, Science and Nature, Text Acronyms, Reality TV, Anagrams and Sport. At the end of each round, you'll hand in your answers and one of us will mark the answers."

"What do the winners get?" Jonny asked.

"Er, you might remember at the beginning of this trip I said there will be a huge challenge on Friday, to test your team work." Guy began. "The winning team will have a huge advantage for that challenge because you'll be participating in the teams you're in now. I can't tell you what the advantage is, but trust me it is worth fighting for." Guy stated. "Over to you, ladies."

"Okay, geography." Adele began. "Paraguay has borders with Brazil, Bolivia and which other country?"

"Argentina." Jac, Guy and Sacha said simultaneously, though Arthur had already began writing that country down.

"I have a feeling, this is going to be a good team." Sacha smiled.

* * *

"Okay, round two is TV and Film." Mo announced.

"I know those lot might know more than us about geography but there's no way they can beat us at this topic." Jonny said quietly to his team.

"Yeah, the only TV Arthur watches is the morning weather forecast so he knows whether to take a coat or not." Zosia quipped.

"The Eastenders theme tune was given lyrics and released as a single in 1986. What was the single called?" Mo asked.

"Who watches Eastenders Maureen?" Jonny complained.

"_You_ on a Friday night with a glass of red wine when I'm on the night shift." Jac quipped from afar which caused everyone to chuckle.

"Alright, alright." Mo grinned. "Question two: The first three films of which childhood actress were 'Tiger Bay' (1959), 'Pollyanna' (1960) and 'The Parent Trap' (1961)?" She asked.

"That's about your era isn't it sweetheart?" Jonny asked jokily. He knew it was risky to joke about her age and it was confirmed when Jac glared at him with her infamously daunting eyes.

"He's just joking." Zosia said to get Jonny out of trouble. "It's my Dad's era." She added cheekily.

"Zosia I was so young then I would've had the attention span of a goldfish." Guy protested.

"Question three," Mo began to change the subject. "Which actor was the first to play 'Doctor Who'?"

* * *

"And finally, the last round. Sport." Adele announced whilst Mo sat down and marked the answers for the previous topic.

"Our strongest topic." Guy said quietly and sarcastically though Jac just raised an eyebrow at him because she didn't like anyone thinking she didn't know something.

"This is relatively simple. I'm going to read out ten football grounds, and you need to write down which football team plays there." Adele stated.

"Ah, maybe this isn't such a bad topic." Guy shrugged.

"Number one: Craven Cottage."

"Ooh, that's Fulham." Guy said quietly to Arthur who was writing the answers for the team.

"Loftus Road."

"That's er… oh, who is it?" Guy asked himself rhetorically. "QPR." He stated.

* * *

"I reckon we've won this." Jonny whispered to his team as they waited for Mo and Adele to count up the results. "There's no way they could've beaten us in TV and Film, Sport, Reality TV or Text Acronyms. And I'm pretty sure we did well on the anagrams one as well."

"I don't know, my Dad's pretty good at pub quizzes." Zosia stated. "He used to go to them every week on a Friday after work with some of his colleagues."

"And your mother would always shove him in the shower when he got home because he'd stink of smoke from where his mates had cigarettes around him." Colette stated with a smile at the memory.

"Right, we've got the winning team who won by only two points." Mo announced.

"Guy's team earned a grand total of 74 points out of a hundred." Adele stated. "And Zosia's team earned… 72 points which means Guy's team are the winners!"

"I demand a recount." Dom declared as he stood up from his seat but Zosia just grabbed his arm and yanked him back down.

"Alright, well done everyone. I didn't expect it to be that close." Guy admitted. "Now tomorrow, we don't have any activities but there's a reason for that. I want the rest of the winning team to meet me by the minibus at 10am, the rest of you I want to see sitting around the fire at 4pm." Guy stated. "Right, that's all." He added. "Oh and seeing as Mo did most of the work on that quiz, I want you to join my team, Adele you'll be part of Zosia's team."

* * *

"Have you got any idea what the big challenge is?" Dom asked as he, Zosia and Arthur sat in their tent.

"I haven't got a clue." Zosia shrugged as she climbed into her sleeping bag.

"I still can't believe we lost by two points." Dom huffed.

"I know. I should've beaten you by at least five." Arthur quipped.

"Text us what you get to do tomorrow." Zosia ordered.

"And what if it's something I'm supposed to keep a secret?" Arthur protested.

"You still have to tell us. Come on Arthur, if it was me or Zosh who was in the winning team, we'd tell the others." Dom stated.

* * *

"If that sports bit was on Scottish football teams, my team would've won." Jonny stated whilst Jac tapped away on her iPad.

"Yeah, _sure_ you would have." Jac replied sarcastically without taking her eyes off of the screen.

"We've been gone over a week now, how on earth have you still got charge?" He asked.

"I got a battery pack from Amazon which charged devices about 10 times before you need to recharge it." Jac stated.

"Right. How's Elliot coping without you?" He asked.

"He's working on maternity and says that they've got the backlog under control because of the extra staffing and sometimes he gets to work on paediatric cases with cardiothoracic problems with Mr T." Jac explained.

"Sounds fun."

"Mm. Oh and he says that the refurbishment on Darwin has resulted in the staff room being made into a match box. Plus everyone's lockers are smaller now, as is the room."

"Well, they need the put the extra beds in somewhere." Jonny sighed. "Have you asked him about how big the linen cupboard is?" He grinned. "They'd better still have the heater in there otherwise in the winter it gets cold in there when we–"

"May I remind you we're in a tent and people outside can hear you." Jac whispered.

"Sorry." Jonny smirked as he knew she liked to keep her private life private. "Can I ask you something?" Jonny asked.

"You just did."

"Jac, I'm being serious."

"What?"

"Are we alright? It's just, I thought this trip would bring us closer together, staying in a tent together an' all. But, we haven't done anything more than you letting me put my arms around you and you just seem… I don't know… You're just not like you usually are when it's just you and me." He stated and he watched as she stared at the screen of her tablet before she finally looked up.

"You know I don't want to be here." She sighed. "The only place that's worse than camping in the freezing cold, is maternity… Plus we haven't had any time when it's just been you and I except last night in the hotel and I thought we were fine." She admitted. "And you know why we haven't don't anything more." She added.

"So we're good, yeah?"

"You idiot." Jac muttered under her breath before he put her tablet aside and leant forward to plant her lips on his. He slowly laid down until she was practically on top of him and it until for another minute passed that they parted their lips.

"Was that you're way of saying 'we're doing more than good'?" Jonny whispered.

"Night Jonny." Jac said softly as she moved so that she was lying beside him and laid one arm over his chest whilst he put his arm around her shoulders so that she could rest her head on the side of his chest.

"Goodnight." Jonny replied as her rested his chin on the top of her head whilst he grinned like an idiot – he could go to sleep a happy man with a beautiful woman who was well and truly his.


	15. Chapter 15

**Thursday 13th November 2014, 10:30am**

"Right, what do you guys want?" Guy asked as he stood at a table where his five other team mates were taking a seat in Costa Coffee. The winning team had been driven by minibus as part of their prize but they were yet to find out what it was.

"I'll have an Americano please." Sacha smiled.

"Er, I'll have a hot chocolate please." Mo stated.

"Arthur?" Guy queried.

"Mocha, please." He replied.

"And Jac?"

"Hazelnut latte." She replied simply. Guy then went and placed their orders and soon returned with a tray with six different mugs on it which were immediately distributed to the deserved person.

"Right, this prize is an advantage for the challenge tomorrow. You'll find out what the challenge is earlier than the other team and have plenty of time to prepare for it." Guy stated. "We're going to be climbing the tallest mountain in the UK."

"Ben Nevis?" Arthur questioned.

"Yes, Ben Nevis." He confirmed. "Now, we're climbing it together, and the other team will have to climb it. Whichever team gets to the top first wins." He stated. "But, you cannot tell any member of the other group. I will tell them this evening."

"Don't you have to do months of training for something like this?" Mo protested.

"I've been assured that anyone who is reasonably fit with no health problems should be able to walk up and down Ben Nevis within eight hours." Guy stated. "Plus, the weather forecast is looking good for tomorrow. Now, I brought us here because we can get free Wi-Fi so we can research anything we need to, and I want us to plan a route. Okay, I wasn't expecting you to have that but I suppose it's a bonus." Guy smirked as he watched Jac take her iPad out of her handbag.

"So the others will only have a couple of hours to prepare." Arthur aired with a tone of concern.

"Don't worry. I'll offer them a lift to this café this evening if they want to use the internet." Guy stated. "I'd never let them do something that'd put them in danger, especially considering one of them is _my daughter_." Guy said sternly.

"No– no, I didn't mean that–"

"Relax Arthur, I know what you mean." Guy interrupted calmly. "Now then, I do know that it can be 0°C or colder at the summit so we'll need to take plenty of layers."

* * *

"_Where did you sneak off this morning_?" Jonny joked as he picked up the phone to his partner who, along with the rest of her group, were missing from the campsite.

"I didn't think you'd appreciate being woken up just for me to say goodbye." Jac replied.

"_So what're you getting up to?_"

"I'm just getting some air." She replied as she stood outside of the coffee shop where everyone was taking a break from planning and she had decided to give him a call after she had left him fast asleep under a sleeping bag in the morning and she figured it would be best to check if he had actually gotten up yet.

"_How do you fancy getting a takeaway tonight_?" He suggested.

"Um… We can't. You'll find out why later but not tonight." She replied as she knew having a greasy, unhealthy meal the night before a long walk would not be a good idea – they just wouldn't have the energy they would need for such a strenuous task.

"_Is this to do with the challenge tomorrow_?" He asked curiously. "_You know what it is, don't you_." He concluded after a short silence.

"We're not supposed to tell anyone." Jac admitted.

"_You can tell me_." He grinned.

"I…"

"_Come on, we're both alone. Just say what it is_."

"We've got to climb Ben Nevis." She stated. "Well? Say something."

"_No, it's just… Jac, people die climbing The Ben_." Jonny stated concernedly.

"Well, make the most of the extra time I've given you. Prepare as much as you can but just don't tell the others yet. I'll let you use the 3G on my phone when I get back if you need the internet."

"_Thanks_."

"I'd better get back."

"_Yep, okay. See you soon_."

* * *

"Oh come on Diggers." Dom moaned as he and Zosia sat in their tent with the phone on speaker whilst they spoke to their flatmate who was spending his break on a little walk around the town. "Just tell us what you're up to."

"_Yeah but I know what you two are like; you won't keep it a secret and then I'll be in trouble for telling you_." Arthur protested. "_Especially you Zosia because I'm pretty sure it's not something you'll enjoy_."

"Why? What is it?" Zosia demanded. "Arthur, what is it?" Zosia said slowly and sternly.

"_What's that? Sorry, I've got to go. Bye._" Arthur quickly hung up the phone before either of his flatmates could protest because he knew for certain that with Zosia's fear of heights, breaking the news to her would have to be done delicately.

* * *

"Remember not to tell the others yet." Guy reminded his team as he opened the side door of the minibus and held his hand out to help Jac down first, then the others. "That includes not telling Zosia or Dom." Guy said sternly as Arthur stepped out last.

"No, of course not." Arthur nodded and he was about to walk away when he felt obliged to speak to the CEO. "Guy, I'm by no means trying to tell you how to be a father or how to handle your own daughter," he began.

"Good." Guy interrupted as he stood with a slight frown as he wondered what the junior doctor was going to say.

"But, I think – given Zosia's problem with heights – you might be better of telling her yourself when it's just the two of you rather than in front of everyone else." Arthur stated slowly and it seemed like forever until Guy finally replied.

"That might not be a bad idea actually." He concluded. "Thank you Arthur."

* * *

"Nice to see you too." Jac said sarcastically as she climbed into the tent where Jonny was sitting on his sleeping bag and he appeared to be in deep thought.

"Hm? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about tomorrow." He admitted as she sat down cross legged in front of him.

"Remember, I'm not supposed to have told you." Jac warned.

"Yeah, I know." He nodded. "Are we definitely doing it in teams tomorrow?"

"Yeah, we're racing to the top." Jac stated. "Why?"

"It's just I think we'd all be safer if we were doing it together as a larger group. Then no one would be thinking competitively and we could all work together more." He stated.

"Why are you so worried?" Jac protested. "It's not as if there're hundreds of deaths every year – there are about three or four people have died this year and those were people climbing alone or trying to climb from the North side without ropes. We're going up from the South side." Jac stated.

"No but it's November. At the summit, it'll be below freezing, it'll probably be low visibility, icy, there will be snow on the top." Jonny explained. "When I was younger, a man in my village died on it and he'd been climbing for years. We've never done anything like this before and Guy wants us to race up there."

"Stop getting so worked up about it, it'll be fine." Jac huffed.

* * *

"Can I have a word sweetheart?" Guy asked as he caught his daughter coming out of the bathrooms.

"I suppose." She replied confusedly as she followed him the short distance to the sheltered picnic area and they sat down on a bench. "Is this about what we're doing tomorrow?"

"Why? What's Arthur said?" Guy demanded.

"Nothing. Me and Dom were bugging him this morning and he just said it wasn't something that I'm going to enjoy." Zosia replied.

"Well, no I don't think it is." Guy admitted. "Just remember when I planned this, I forgot you didn't like heights and I really don't want us to fall out over this." He pleaded.

"You're scaring me." Zosia frowned.

"We're going to climb Ben Nevis." Guy stated. "But you'll have Colette and Dom with you the whole way darling and I promise there's nothing to be worried about. I just thought– well, Arthur thought it would be best to tell you away from everyone else." Guy explained quickly. "Do you want some time to think things through?" He offered as she was clearly thinking many things at the same time.

"No, no." Zosia replied quietly. "Are we doing it in our teams then?" She asked.

"Yes. But if you want, I can switch with someone so I'll be on your team too." Guy smiled.

"No, I don't want to be treated differently." Zosia shook her head. "Don't you need some sort of climbing equipment for that?"

"No, all you need is a good pair of walking boots – which you already have – and some extra clothes, food and drink." He replied. "I've got to admit, you're taking this remarkably better than I thought you would."

"Yeah well. I suppose it's a different kind of heights." Zosia shrugged. "Being firmly on your feet high up is a bit different to standing on a tiny wooden platform with nothing but an old harness for safety."

"I'm going to explain this again later, but I'm going to give everyone the address of a hotel that we are staying in tomorrow night after the hike. I've already made reservations so once we finish, we can go and relax in the hotel and then there will be no more camping." Guy stated.

"Did Mama like heights?" Zosia asked out of the blue.

"Er, well she didn't love them but she didn't have a big problem with them." Guy replied. "I remember when we were younger and you were about five or six. You climbed to the top of this net thing at a play area but you couldn't get down from it and _that _was when we realised you didn't like heights." He explained.

"I never knew that." Zosia smiled. "What happened after?"

"I had to lift you down, then I got you some ice cream from a van and you sat on Mama's lap until we took you home." Guy stated. "Right come on, I need to make a list of things I need to get for tomorrow and if you make one too, I can get your stuff for you." Guy stated as he got up from the bench.

"Does that include chocolate?" Zosia asked sheepishly.

"If that's what you want." Guy chuckled before the pair of them walked back to camp.

* * *

"Guy, can I have a word please?" Jonny requested after they had endured the meeting where their leader had finally announced the challenge to the rest of the group.

"Yeah, sure." Guy replied confusedly.

"Do you not think we would be working together more as a team if we all walked together rather than walking in two individual groups?" He asked. "It's just, if there's bad weather – which, at this time of year is likely – then I think it's safer to be in a group of ten rather than two groups of five. Plus I know Zosia would probably feel safer if we were all one team." Jonny pleaded.

"Jonny, I know it'll be a challenge but there's really nothing to worry about." Guy replied reassuringly.

"Guy trust me, if the bad weather hits, that'll be it and we'll have to turn back. The reception on the mountain is going to be terrible and if there is bad weather we won't be able to contact each other between groups." Jonny stated. "Please? Surely you can see that it's safer for everyone."

"Fair enough, you make a valid point." Guy sighed. "I'll tell everyone in the morning – we'll climb the mountain together."

* * *

"Told you I could convince him." Jonny whispered as he laid under the sleeping bag with his arms around the most beautiful woman in the world.

"Mm. I just can't wait to get to the hotel so I can have a hot bath and sleep in a proper bed again." Jac murmured.

"Promise me you won't take any silly risks tomorrow." Jonny ordered.

"What?" She huffed with confusion.

"Please Jac, I want to hear you promise to me that you won't take any unnecessary risks. The wind is really picking up out there and I can feel a storm coming on. The last thing we want to be doing is climbing a mountain after it's rained; it'll be a mud bath."

"Will you just shut up." Jac complained sleepily as she buried her head into his chest and closed her eyes. "Go to sleep, we're going to need it."

"Alright fine. But we're sticking together." Jonny stated before he settled down for the night. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't relax. For he could feel a storm coming in his bones and he did not have a good feeling about the next day…


	16. Chapter 16

**Friday 14th November 2014, 6:50am**

In the morning, Guy rounded everyone up on the minibus in the campsite carpark after they had packed their tents away and were ready to leave.

"Now, we'll stop at a shop on the way to the base of the mountain to get some food and drink but it really isn't that far. It shouldn't take more than half an hour until we're there." Guy stated as he sat at the wheel, turned to face his colleagues whilst they warmed up with coffees from the café. "Tonight, we're staying in a hotel and I've booked two rooms of four plus one room of two. Jac, Jonny, Mo and Adele you are in one room. Sacha, Arthur, Dom and Adele you are in another which leaves Zosia and I in the final room." He explained. "Obviously everyone here is of different heights and weights so I can't say for definite but you will require anywhere between three or four thousand calories today and anyone who doesn't eat enough will certainly struggle later on. Make sure you eat the correct types of calories and not just a load of rubbish. Does anyone have any questions about today…? No? Good, right. We'll get going then." Guy concluded.

"Why on earth are we in a room with dumb and dumber?" Jac grumbled as she sat next to her partner near the back of the minibus and leant against the window.

"Would you rather share with the junior doctors?" Jonny retorted. "No, I thought not." He smirked from the disgusted look on her face. "It's only for one night by the sounds of it." He said reassuringly as he snaked his arm around her waist. "Give it a couple of days and we will be back in Holby in either of our own flats and we'll get to see what's been done to Darwin over the last two weeks."

* * *

Guy was walking around the supermarket with a basket, browsing for things that would help him during the day when he stumbled across his daughter who was putting some blister plasters in her basket and she already had some orange sports gel sachets in it.

"I suppose I'd better get some of this, given what my knees are like." Guy stated as he picked up a box of nurafen gel but once he'd put it in his basket, he noticed she had her eyes fixated on the box of plasters. "Come on, tell me what you're worried about and I might be able to help." He said softly. "You shouldn't be worried about being the slowest or being left behind because you're probably one of the healthiest people here. There's nothing complicated about this climb other than the odd steep bit here or there."

"I'll be fine once we get walking… I think it's just the thought of it." Zosia admitted.

"Well, we'll be underway soon." Guy stated. "Come on, let's go and get something for lunch for later."

* * *

"That's a good idea." Jonny acknowledged as he watched Jac put a tube of deep heat into her basket. "But you should probably get some tissues and hand sanitizer too."

"Why?" Jac asked confusedly.

"Because there aren't any toilets on the mountain. You'll just have to make do–"

"I am not going in the middle of nowhere." Jac stated adamantly.

"Well what're you going to do eh? You need to drink plenty or you'll get dehydrated."

"I'll manage." Jac sighed before she left the aisle and continued with her shopping. Jonny, on the other hand, picked up some tissues and hand sanitizer for her just in case before he caught up with her down the next aisle.

* * *

"How're you feeling?" Colette asked softly as she greeted the junior doctor at the self-service checkouts but Zosia just shrugged in reply. "Don't worry sweetheart, me and your dad will be there every step of the way for you… What's the anti-sickness meds for?" Colette asked confusedly as she watched Zosia scan them and put them into her carrier bag. "You won't get altitude sickness even at the top–"

"I know, it's for the journey home." Zosia sighed.

"Oh right. Well if you go to bed fairly late on the night before we leave, you should be able to sleep most of the way home." Colette advised. She of course knew that Guy was paying for her to get the train back but she didn't want to ruin the surprise.

"Mm. All nine hours of it." Zosia huffed sarcastically.

* * *

"If anyone is cold now, go back to the minibus now and get another layer or two because I know you'll warm up but it'll be below freezing at the summit." Guy ordered as the group of ten had collected around two picnic benches at the foot of the mountain next to a car park where the minibus was, and they were waiting until they had their route planned out. Jonny was the man in charge and he occasionally asked Jac for a bit it help but Guy had noticed that most people were trying to bundle together to keep warm.

"Can I get another pair of leggings to put on over these?" Zosia asked bluntly as she held her hand out.

"Yeah sure, make sure you lock it." He said sternly as he handed her the small bunch of keys and he watched her walk off before he went over to the bench where Jac, Jonny, Sacha, Mo and Colette were sitting. "How is the route going?" Guy asked.

"Yeah, we're nearly there." Jonny nodded. "It's just the top bit that's tricky because we don't want to walk through any snow without an ice axe or crampons and this time of year, there's bound to be some snow up there."

"And I keep telling him to stop being a wimp and to just let us climb the last 'x' amount of meters through a few centimetres of snow." Jac stated. She had her long wavy locks down over her shoulders with a grey beanie on the crown of her head to keep her warm and Jonny couldn't believe how much less frightening she seemed with her hair like that.

"Well, we could always just wait and see what it's like when we get up there." Guy suggested.

"That's what I said." Mo nodded.

"Alright, we'll do that then." Jonny sighed. When he had woken this morning, the dark grey clouds outside of his tent hadn't put him at ease about the challenge they would face.

"Right, if anyone needs the loo this is your last chance." Guy announced and of course, the entire group – minus Zosia who was still in the minibus – got up and speed-walked over to the small toilet block because they knew that there were no toilets on the mountains.

* * *

**1:00pm**

"Okay, I think it's time to take another break, it looks like snow up ahead." Jonny announced as he stopped where he was and dumped his bag on the ground in front of him. Having hiked for hours, everyone was exhausted and there wasn't one person who could say their feet weren't aching because they were constantly walking on odd shaped rocks. Aside from the lethargy and painful feet, everyone was also freezing cold because the temperature had to be near 0°C. "Come here." Jonny whispered as he wrapped his arms around Jac's waist and he rested his chin on her shoulder. For the last hour or two, the ground had only been rocks with no plateaus or roughage and it was steep so there was nowhere to sit down.

"What was it you said when we first came to Scotland?" Jac moaned. "'Scotland isn't any colder than England.'" She said sarcastically.

"Yeah well if you were a thousand metres about sea level in Holby, you'd be just as cold." Jonny replied as he gently rubbed his hands up and down her back. "Now come on, you should have some of my lucozade." He stated as he bent down to pick up his bag. "I know you were adamant at first that you don't need to drink anything other than water, but that's only if you eat enough energy and you haven't." He said sternly as he took out the orange liquid. "Go on, you might even like it." He grinned. She reluctantly took the bottle and took a sip but immediately gave a face of disgust until she managed to swallow it.

"That is literally liquid sugar. How can you drink that?" She protested and Jonny just chuckled at her as she took out a bottle of water to wash the drink down.

* * *

"You're doing really well, both of you." Guy said to Zosia and Colette before he took a swig of water. He, unlike the ladies was facing down the mountain whilst they took their break and though it was a little foggy, the view was amazing.

"It's not as bad as I thought it was going to be." Zosia admitted. "This is completely different to being suspended mid-air. I don't feel like I'm going to fall plus the walking gives me something to focus on." She explained.

"Well good." Guy smiled. "I was going to tell you something to raise your spirits but I'm not sure if I should tell you now." He hinted.

"Tell me what?" Zosia asked confusedly.

"I've booked you two ladies train tickets back to Holby so you don't have to go in the minibus and get sick again and Colette can keep you company and make sure you don't get lost." Guy stated.

"What…? I don't understand." Zosia frowned.

"I shouldn't have booked something this far away with your travel sickness and I'd hate to end this trip on a low. Hopefully, you shouldn't get sick at all on the train because we used to travel for hours on trains in Poland whenever we visited your grandmother and you didn't get sick then." He explained.

"Thanks Guy." Colette grinned – the thought of a relaxing train journey home where they could probably sleep and she wouldn't been worried about Zosia becoming ill sounded far better than the journey up there where they had numerous stops for her to get some air. Plus, the train would be faster than the minibus.

"No problem." Guy smiled. "I mean they are only tickets for the lounge, you won't have a room with beds but you'll have a meal on board–"

"Dad, it doesn't matter." Zosia interrupted. "Thank you."

"Right, come on guys, let's get going." Jonny ordered after they had all caught their breaths back and had a drink and something to eat. "It should only be about an hour until we reach the top." He added and without question – though there were a few huffs – everyone began walking behind the Scotsman who was leading the way. But would the group of ten make it to the tallest point in the British Isles?


	17. Chapter 17

**Friday 14th November 2014, 2:20pm**

"Ladies and gentlemen, you are the highest people in the UK at the moment." Guy announced proudly as he gave a hand up to the last few members of the group as they reached the plateaued summit with a view for miles.

"I don't know, I'm sure people are higher i.e. some of Keller's patients." Dom quipped as he dumped his bag on the ground. "Oh god, now we've got to go back down." He moaned.

"Not just yet Dom, we'll spend a bit of time up here." Guy stated as he admired the incredible 360° views.

"You're making my legs hurt just looking at you." Jonny said sympathetically as he, more than anyone else in the world, knew what Jac usually looked like and he could tell from her posture and how she was standing that her feet and her legs were causing her pain. Regarding cardiovascular health, Jac was probably the fittest there but she was just so skinny that her joints and bones had little protection and so her ankles and knees were aching a lot.

"I'm fine." Jac replied simply.

"Oh, I can't wait to get to our hotel room and just lie down and do nothing all night." He exclaimed.

"Yeah in a room with dumb and dumber." Jac retorted.

"Sharing a room with Mo and Adele isn't that bad." Jonny protested. "It'll be fine. Besides, we couldn't get up to anything anyway because we're both knackered." He added with a wink. "It is incredible though, isn't it? No training whatsoever and we're the highest people on Earth for about 400 miles in any direction."

"Brilliant, Maconie's having an epiphany." Jac announced sarcastically.

* * *

**5:45pm**

"I should have a reservation for three rooms under the name of Guy Self." Guy announced as he arrived at the reception of the B&amp;B with nine exhausted individuals dragging their feet across the floor and their bags behind them.

"Okay, just hold on one moment please." The receptionist replied in a thick Scottish accent before she flicked through a couple of sheets in front of her. "Ah yes. If you just here a moment, I'll go and get someone to take you to your room." She smiled before she disappeared from the room, leaving the ten adults alone.

"Right, everyone listen up. Tomorrow, we are heading back to Inverness which is about a two hour drive in the minibus and we'll stay overnight in a hotel. Tonight, you're free to relax but I want everyone to meet by the minibus tomorrow by 10am." Guy stated.

* * *

"Ah good." Guy smiled as he entered the room he was sharing with his daughter which had a wardrobe, two single beds and an ensuite. "I requested twin beds." He confirmed as Zosia dumped her bag on the floor before she crashed out on bed closest to the door.

"I'm not getting up unless it's for food." Zosia announced proudly as she kicked her boots off onto the floor.

"Agreed." Guy nodded as he sat down on his bed and unlaced his shoes. "My knees are killing me." He admitted. Going downhill for a couple of hours had taken its toll and so his knees were very sore. "I thought you weren't getting up." Guy grinned as Zosia reluctantly sat up and got off of her bed.

"I've consumed three litres of water today; I don't have a choice." She replied bluntly before she shut the bathroom door behind her and Guy just smiled to himself before he laid down on his bed and closed his eyes. Soon, Zosia came out of the ensuite, let her hair down over her shoulders and then she laid back down on her bed. "Ooh, room service." She smiled as she picked up a menu from her bedside table.

"Once you've chosen what you want, let me have a look and I'll order dinner in." Guy stated.

"Fine by me. I'll have… the smoked salmon and cream cheese parcels for starter… chorizo, tiger prawn and pepper pizza for main course, chunky chips as a side and… chocolate and raspberry tart for pudding. Oh, and a large glass of pinot grigio." Zosia requested cheekily before she threw the menu across to her father.

"Which is sure to set me back fifty quid." Guy concluded.

"Just put it on the tab for this trip."

"No, it's fine. I can afford it; I'm not on an F2's salary."

"Oh haha." Zosia replied sarcastically. "Right, I'm going for a hot shower before dinner. Do you want to use the bathroom first?" She asked.

"No, no. Go ahead. But don't have it too hot to start off with." Guy said sternly. "You're probably still rather cold."

"Did it slip your mind that I'm a doctor?" Zosia moaned as she grabbed her toiletry bag out of her rucksack.

"No, it's just that I'm your father; I can't help but watch out for you." Guy admitted.

"Can you keep an eye out for me by ordering dinner?" Zosia asked as she fluttered her eyes at him before she went into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jac, Jonny, Adele and Mo had just arrived in their hotel room to find that there was one main room with two double beds in it and a small ensuite bathroom.

"Well, this looks cosy." Adele announced all whilst Jac had a face of pure disgust.

"It's only for one night." Jonny stated as he placed his bag on the same bed that Jac had just put her bag on. "Besides, sharing a room and a bathroom with three women reminds me of going on a holiday with my sisters when I was younger." He stated.

"I swear, next time Guy comes up with an idea for a team building activity, I'm gonna choose to work on maternity." Mo stated as she collapsed on one side of her double bed.

"Next time Guy does something like this, I'm going to write a strongly worded letter to the board about how much damage this does to the hospital." Jac retorted as she sat down on the edge of the bed but Jonny quickly noticed that she was trying to rub the tension away between her shoulder blades so he jumped on the bed behind her.

"Let me." He smiled as he began to massage her back which caused Adele to 'aw' and Mo to 'ugh'. "Either of you two ladies need the loo?" Jonny asked.

"No." They both replied.

"Good. I'll go and run you a hot bath." Jonny whispered into Jac's ear before he slid off of the bed and into the bathroom.

* * *

"Colette, you have that bed and I'll take the sofa." Sacha stated as he, Arthur, Dom and Colette arrived in their room which also had two double beds.

"No, Sacha honestly I don't mind–"

"Really, that sofa looks comfy to me." Sacha stated reassuringly. "You take the bed."

"Thanks Sacha." Colette replied gratefully.

"No worries." He smiled before they both watched Dom and Arthur look at each other and clearly the thought of sharing a bed with the other was much more frightening for Arthur.

"Can I make a suggestion? Sleep in your sleeping bags and forget the duvet." Colette suggested.

* * *

"Ohhhh, my knees." Guy groaned as he slowly laid down in his bed wearing his pyjama bottoms and an old shirt.

"Have you used the nurofen gel?" Zosia asked.

"Yeah, about twenty minutes ago." Guy nodded.

"Let me do some exercises with your knees." Zosia ordered as she got off of her bed and then began massaging one of his knees. "I did a six month rotation on physiotherapy." She added in explanation.

* * *

"Don't." Jac said simply as she stopped Jonny from wrapping his arms around her whilst she laid on her back and stared up at the ceiling.

"Why not?" Jonny chuckled. "Mo and Adele don't care." He whispered.

"Yeah, well I do." Jac stated firmly.

"Okay." Jonny sighed as he laid comfortably on his side.

"Night guys." Adele said before she switched off the final light in the room and they were overcome with darkness.

"Night." Jonny replied. Slowly, he moved his hand under the duvet until he found her fingers and he entwined his own with hers until he was holding her warm, soft hand. He smiled as she didn't pull away, and he was sure that – though he couldn't see because of the darkness – she was smiling back.

* * *

"Thank you darling." Guy said gratefully as Zosia went back to her own bed whilst he pulled the duvet back. "My knees are now no longer throbbing, just aching." He smirked. "You tired?" He asked as she got into bed.

"Mm." She replied as she laid on her side and pulled her covers up to her chin.

"I remember when you were a little girl… Whenever you were tired, you would rub your eyes and you never wanted to admit that you were tired so you'd say you had a fly in your eye." He smiled. "In fact, one Christmas–" Guy stopped as he realised she had closed her eyes and obviously had no intention of listening. "Goodnight Zoshie." He smiled before he reached above his headboard and flicked the light switch off.

"Night." She mumbled, before she slipped into a deep slumber.


	18. Chapter 18

**Saturday 15th November 2014**

"She is completely different when she's with him." Adele pointed out. She and Mo had gotten up earlier in the room because they were having a shower in the morning unlike Jac and Jonny who had done so the night before and so the other two were still fast asleep. However, they had changed positions in their sleep and Jonny was lying with his arms wrapped around Jac whilst she had her face buried in his chest.

"I know, you hardly ever see it but when it's just the two of them, she's a completely different person." Mo stated. "I bet you anything when she wakes up and she realises that we've seen her, she'll go bright red, push Jonny off of her and tell him off for touching her."

"So don't wake her up." Jonny croaked and Adele and Mo grinned as they realised the Scotsman was awake.

"I didn't have her down as a lie-in girl." Adele stated.

"She isn't – that climb yesterday must've taken its toll." Jonny said softly and his heart skipped a beat as Jac began to fidget. But it turned out she was only moving in her sleep and he let out a sigh of relief once she settled – she would go ballistic if she woke up in his arms with Mo and Adele there. "I don't suppose you two want to go downstairs for breakfast now so waking her up won't be like poking a bear with a stick, do you?" He requested quietly.

"Relax, we were just going down anyway." Mo stated as she zipped up her bag. "Come on sis, let's leave them to it." Mo ordered as she opened the door and waited for her sister to leave before she quietly closed the door after her and left the couple alone.

"Jac… Jac…" Jonny gently nudged her but she just scrunched her nose up and did nothing more. "Crash team!" Jonny shouted.

"What? Maconie get the trolley." Jac ordered as she shot up but she frowned when she realised where she was, and then there was a scowl as she realised what had happened.

"Morning sweetheart." Jonny grinned.

"You Scottish idiot." Jac muttered as she climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom.

* * *

"Come on Zosia, up you get." Guy ordered as he stood with a towel wrapped around his waist and a towel around his neck after he had taken a shower.

"Mm." She grunted.

"Zosia." Guy said sternly.

"Everything aches." She complained.

"Yeah? Well then a hot shower will aid the recovery of your muscles, so go. We need to check out of here in an hour." He stated. "Do I really need to remind you of what I used to do when you were a little girl and you wouldn't get out of bed? I'm sure I can find a bucket of ice cold water somewhere…"

"I'm going, I'm going." Zosia moaned as she slowly sat up and then padded into the bathroom.

* * *

"How can you eat that rabbit food?" Jonny asked as he sat at a table in the breakfast room with Jac who was eating a bowl of muesli.

"How can you eat a plate of fat and grease?" She retorted as he sat with a fry up in front of him.

"Easy." He replied before he shoved a forkful of bacon, egg and hash brown into his mouth.

"You're disgusting." Jac exclaimed.

"Ah, everyone's nearly ready then." Guy concluded as he came into the room with his daughter and he found most of his team there. "Where is Sacha?" He asked.

"He kept on getting cramps in his legs so he's gone out for a walk before he's stuck in the minibus for two hours." Colette stated with a smile as they had all laughed each time Sacha had gotten up from the table and started yelping in pain.

"Alright, thanks." He nodded. "Have you had your travel sickness meds this morning?" Guy asked his daughter as they sat down at a table for two.

"You mean the ones that don't work?" Zosia asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, those ones." Guy replied in an equally sarcastic tone.

"Yes." She huffed.

"Good. It might not seem like it but I'm sure they make some kind of difference."

"Yeah, they make me sleepy." Zosia stated bluntly.

"Which helps you to sleep and then you don't feel sick." Guy concluded. "Now shut up and go and grab something for breakfast. I don't care if it's just an apple, you've got to eat something." He ordered.

* * *

"On a scale of one to ten…?" Guy questioned as he held his hand out and helped his daughter slide onto her feet as she slipped out of the minibus into the car park of the premier inn that they were staying in, in Inverness.

"Five." Zosia replied as she leant against the vehicle and then hung her head below her shoulders.

"Alright." Guy sighed as he opened the side door and allowed everyone else off of the minibus after the two hour journey. "Right, everyone is going to check in to their rooms and then you have the rest of the day to do whatever you want. Tomorrow, I want everyone ready at the minibus by 8am, unless of course you're travelling by train and you must make your own arrangements." Guy stated as he glanced at Jac and Jonny in particular. "It is the same room mates as last night unless anyone has any problems." He added as he lifted both his and Zosia's bags from the vehicle and then he closed the door and locked it.

"Can I wait out here to get some air for a while please?" Zosia mumbled.

"Yes, of course sweetheart. Colette, can you just stay with her for a while, I'll come and get you both and show you where our rooms are in ten minutes or so."

"Yeah, sure." Colette nodded.

"Right, come on everyone." Guy ordered. And soon, the large group dissipated and left only Zosia and Colette.

"Zosia?" Colette queried as the junior doctor began to move around the back of the minibus where there was a small bank of grass. "Alright, it's okay." Colette said gently as she placed a hand on her back because she clearly thought she was going to be sick.

"Get Dad."

"What? No, Zosh he said he'll be back in a minute–"

"Go." Zosia ordered simply.

"Alright, I'll be back in a minute." Colette replied before she quickly jogged off.

* * *

"She's been sick." Guy stated concernedly as he and Colette swiftly exited the reception to find Zosia walking towards them.

"How do you know?" Colette asked.

"She always got embarrassed whenever she was actually sick." Guy explained.

"Dad I–"

"I know, it's alright. It doesn't matter." Guy said reassuringly as he gently wrapped his arms around her. "Come on, we'll go to our room and you can have a lie down for a while."

"I was going to go somewhere and get a baguette or something for lunch. This is probably a stupid question but do you want me to get you anything? Even if it's just a drink." Colette asked.

"Could you get a couple of bottles of water please?" Guy asked.

"Yeah sure."

"Come on, let's get you in the warm." Guy said as he put his arm around his daughter's shoulders and guided her into the building.

* * *

"How about I take you out for dinner tonight?" Jonny asked with a smile as Jac sat on the bed, cross legged, on her tablet. "It'd be a takeaway but I know a nice place we can go and eat in." He stated.

"Hm, a greasy takeaway or room service. That's a toughie." Jac quipped.

"Oh come on, we'll be back to normal on Monday. Just one night is all I'm asking for." Jonny pleaded.

"Just leave it Jonny. She obviously wants to spend the night in this hotel room with me and Adele and have a girly night in." Mo joked.

"I'm ready." Jac announced.

* * *

"I'm going out tonight with Arthur and Dom for dinner." Zosia stated as she laid on her single bed with her phone in her hands.

"You feeling a lot better then?" Guy smiled.

"Mm." She nodded. "Can you not tell anyone else about what happened please?"

"I don't get why you get embarrassed about being sick – it wasn't your fault. And besides, if you were sick another time after a night out and you'd consumed too much alcohol I'm sure you wouldn't be embarrassed then."

"Being travel sick just… I don't know. It's not exactly something to be proud of is it?"

"No but it's not something to be ashamed of." Guy stated. "I still think it's odd how you managed the whole journey here from Holby without being sick, and then you were sick after only two hours on the road." He pointed out.

"Yeah well, I didn't eat in the morning that we left Holby, I ate breakfast this morning. Plus the first time I slept most of the way but this morning I sat on my phone most of the way here."

"I suppose." Guy sighed. "Where are you going for dinner?"

"Dom's found a Nandos not far away." Zosia stated.

"Right, okay." Guy nodded. "Well don't come back too late, but have a nice time."

* * *

Jac and Jonny sat at a table for two in a relatively busy establishment which was a mix between a takeaway and a restaurant – the menu was all takeaway food but you could chose to eat in and several other people were eating in too.

"They'll bring it over in a minute." Jonny stated.

"What did you order?" Jac demanded. She had looked at the menus on the wall near the counter and there was nothing on there that she would voluntarily have so she was bound to dislike the evening.

"It's a large meal for one, so I ordered one for the both of us." Jonny stated. "Please, for one night will you just forget about eating healthily and enjoy yourself." He pleaded. "And tomorrow night when we get back, I promise I'll sort out all of your washing and I'll cook us dinner." He stated.

"The thing is, I'm not sure if I trust you to do the washing." Jac replied sheepishly. "I mean, know you normally do your own and nothing goes wrong there it's just that all of your clothes probably come from Asda and can be washed at the same temperatures and times." Jac said smugly.

"Fine. Tomorrow when we get back, I'll cook us a meal _and _I'll hoover and tidy your flat instead."

"Deal." Jac nodded.

"That brings me round to something else actually…" Jonny began. "These last two weeks, we've practically lived together in the tent and back in Holby, we rarely spent a night alone so… my place or yours?" He asked optimistically.

"Jonny." Jac sighed.

"Look, I practically already know your routine and I promise if I moved in, I wouldn't change anything." Jonny pleaded.

"But–"

"Weekdays - you get up at 6am every morning, have a shower, have muesli – or porridge if it's cold outside – for breakfast, then get ready and leave for work at 7:30am. You get home at 6pm, have dinner, catch up on paperwork, occasionally watch the news, do any house work that needs doing and that's it. On the weekends, you go food shopping every Saturday, then work the night shift from 9pm to 5am and on Sundays, you catch up on sleep and like to watch a good medical documentary in the evening before you hit the sack." Jonny explained which left Jac in a state of bewilderment.

"I suppose… we have kind of been living together already for a while." She replied eventually. "It feels weird when we spend the night apart." She admitted.

"That's exactly how I feel." Jonny nodded eagerly.

"I'll get another key cut for my flat when we get back. But if you're moving in, you need to keep your crap organised and out of my way." Jac stated firmly.

"Of course, I'll do anything." Jonny stated.

"Munchy box?" A young woman working at the food place asked as she arrived with a square box similar to a pizza box but it was about four inches in depth.

"Yeah, that's us." Jonny confirmed. "Thanks." He added as she walked away after placing the box on their table.

"A 'munchy box'?" Jac queried with a face of disgust.

"You know those days where you've just been through so much crap and you just want a Chinese takeaway, a curry, a pizza, a kebab and chips all in one?" He asked.

"No." Jac replied bluntly.

"Well, this is the solution." He ignored her comment as he opened the box to reveal it was filled to the brim with fast food. A small pepperoni pizza, a pile of chips, a pitta filled with slices of doner kebab meat and salad, onion rings, chunks of chicken tikka, a naan bread, sesame prawn toasts and beef chow mein. "You are supposed to eat it with your hands but I thought you might prefer these." He added as he handed her a plastic knife and fork.

"I thought you said this was for one person." Jac protested.

"It is."

"Then why is there enough food here to feed about 5 people?"

"Five Jac Naylors maybe but not five normal people." Jonny corrected. "Come on, just dig in." He ordered as he picked up a slice of pizza and took a large bite.

"Yum." Jac said sarcastically before she used her knife and fork and picked up some of the salad from the kebab.

"You really know how to live it up, don't you?" Jonny asked in an equally sarcastic tone.

* * *

"I bet you can't wait for the journey home tomorrow." Dom said sarcastically as he, Zosia and Arthur sat at a table in Nandos after they had decided to go out for an evening meal together.

"Oh, I'm not going in the minibus." Zosia stated. "My Dad has paid for me and Colette to go back on the train so hopefully I shouldn't get sick."

"Oh, so you're just going to let _us_ suffer the nine hour journey." Arthur complained.

"Yeah but you just suffer because you get bored. I suffer because I feel like I'm going to throw my guts up the entire time so I would've thought you wouldn't mind."

"No, I don't. I'm just messin' with you." Dom replied. "Now then Diggers, I presume you're going to be a wimp and have the plain chicken burger or something."

"There's nothing wrong with having plain." Arthur protested.

"I think I'm going to have the steak roll." Zosia stated.

"Ooh. Someone's splashing the cash tonight."

"Well, I've hardly spent any money in the last fortnight. Plus I haven't had steak in _ages_. Oh and I'll have a glass of sangria seeing as I'm not driving."

"Not that you actually own a car." Dom quipped.

"Yeah well at least I passed my test first time. What was it you said? You passed on your third time?" Zosia teased.

"Do you want me to order for you or not?!" Dom laughed.

"Prego steak roll, with chips and salad and a jug of sangria." Zosia ordered as she took out her purse and handed him thirty pounds.

"A jug?"

"Yeah. And don't get any ideas, the jug is just for me." She stated firmly.

"Your Dad is going to be in for a shock when you get back to your hotel room tonight." Dom warned.

"Oh shut up, the Sangria they serve here is mostly lemonade." Zosia stated.

"Alright, alright."


	19. Chapter 19

**Sunday 16th November 2014**

"Can you two walk with Zosia and Colette please?" Guy requested outside of the hotel as Jac and Jonny were just about to begin walking to the train station.

"Are you guys getting the train?" Jonny asked confusedly as Colette and Zosia got out of the way so that Sacha, Dom, Arthur Mo and Adele could get onto the minibus.

"Yeah, she gets travel sick." Guy stated.

"And we don't have a clue where the train station is." Colette added.

"Sure, it's not a problem. And don't worry, it's only about a ten minute walk." Jonny stated.

* * *

"Just take your jumper off, I can tell you're hot – your cheeks are really red." Jonny chuckled as he and Jac settled into their cabin on the train.

"I'm fine." She grumbled.

"Look, I know you're bloated but no one else is going to come in this cabin; it's just you and me." Jonny stated as he knew she was only wearing the black hoodie to hide her abdomen. He knew she was angry with him because the unhealthy meal last night was causing her harmless but uncomfortable symptom and of course it was his fault for ordering the meal.

"I look fat." Jac complained.

"No you don't."

"How would you know? You can't see." Jac protested.

"Jac, I don't care what you look like." Jonny stated. "Plus you probably feel ten times worse than it actually is." He added. "Alright fine. Look, I'm on the bed. Now you can take your jumper off, get in and I won't look, I promise." Jonny said as he got onto the bottom bunk bed, laid down and he shuffled back until he was lying on his side with his back against the wall with plenty of room for her to get into the bed.

"That meal that your cooking tonight had better be healthy." Jac stated as she got onto the bed and laid with her back against his torso so they were spooning but she quickly took her jumper off once she was lying down.

"I'll make us lemon and lime chicken with coriander couscous and a side salad. How does that sound?" Jonny asked.

"You researched recipes last night didn't you." Jac concluded.

"Maybe." Jonny replied sheepishly. "But it sounds good, doesn't it?"

"It sounds nice, it's just a question of whether you can cook it or not." Jac retorted.

* * *

Meanwhile, Zosia and Colette were settling in to the lounge carriage where they would be spending their journey – given that it wasn't a night journey, Guy had booked them normal tickets as opposed to first class in their own rooms.

"There you go." Colette said as she handed Zosia a steaming hot chocolate with whipped cream that she had gotten from the next carriage.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Just get that down you and then get some rest."

"I still can't believe Dad bought us tickets for this." Zosia admitted.

"I know. I'm just glad you and your Dad are getting on now. I know you think that he should've told you about Mama's illness, but he only kept it a secret because your mother wanted to and he couldn't ignore her wishes." Colette stated. "Besides, I found out pretty late what was happening. I thought you ought to know but your mother just didn't want you to jeopardise your future for her and you were right in the middle of your exams."

"I know…" Zosia sighed.

"Just think, if you would have known, you wouldn't have everything you have now: your career, the flat, your friends." Colette listed before Zosia stifled a yawn. "Get some sleep." Colette smiled. "I know how grumpy you used to get if you didn't have your afternoon nap." She smirked.

"It's 11am." Zosia pointed out.

"Yeah well Arthur and Dom didn't get in until late so I'm imagining you didn't either." Colette quipped. "Plus after yesterday, we know that the more you sleep the less likely you are to feel sick." She added.

"Mm. But I swear, if I wake up with something written on my forehead or pictures of me on the internet then–"

"Zosia, remember this is me you're talking to, not Arthur or Dom." Colette protested.

"Right, sorry."

"Just go to sleep Zosia."

* * *

"Jac, sweetheart we're nearly at London Euston; we need to get ready to switch trains." Jonny said softly.

"Hm?" She replied groggily.

"Come on. You need to get off so I can move." Jonny stated with a smile at how vulnerable and innocent she was whenever she woke.

"We slept the whole way?" She questioned.

"Correction: _you_ slept the whole way. I've been playing on my phone for the last hour." Jonny grinned as she climbed out from the bottom bunk and immediately pulled her black jumper on. "Do you fancy getting something for lunch before we get on the train or do you want to wait until we get home?" He asked as he pulled his shoes on.

"We'll wait." Jac replied. "I've got to save room for your incredible lemon and lime chicken thing you're cooking." She quipped. "Thank god we're going back to work tomorrow though."

"I'll never get how you can love work that much." Jonny exclaimed.

"Maybe because I actually save lives on a daily basis where as you just get patients coffee and change their bed pans." Jac retorted.

"Nurses do a lot more than you give them credit for." Jonny protested.

"Oh, so you can restart someone's heart with your own bare hands can you?"

"No but I bet you don't know how to change a catheter bag." Jonny joked.

"Like anyone with more than one brain cell would _want _to know how to do that." Jac replied.

"See this banter is what we're all about. You take the mick out of my job and–"

"And you just accept it." Jac interrupted. "And don't ever involve me and the word 'banter' in the same sentence ever again."

* * *

"Do you want a hand with your bag?" Colette asked as she dropped Zosia outside the block of flats which she resided in. After getting to Holby train station, they had gotten a taxi to the hospital car park and then Colette had driven Zosia to her place.

"No thanks. But thanks for the lift." Zosia replied as she lifted her hiking bag out of the boot.

"No problem. I'll see you at work tomorrow."

"Yep, bye." Zosia replied before she heaved her bag up the flight of stairs and let herself in to her home. "_Now, I could put some washing on and sort my bag out… or, I could catch up on the two weeks of Walking Dead that I missed_." Zosia thought to herself. The choice of course was easy so she sat down on the sofa, put her feet up and was just about to switch the TV on when her phone rang. It was Dom. "Hello?"

"_Hi, I was just gonna ask if you could put the heating on when you get home_." Dom stated

"I'm already in the flat." Zosia informed him.

"_Oh okay, well we're still a couple of hours away so could you put the heating on, and if I send you a shopping list, could you go and get a few things in for us please_?" He requested.

"I've just sat down." Zosia complained.

_"Please? Otherwise we won't have anything for dinner or for breakfast tomorrow_."

"Fine. But don't make it a long list because I don't want to have to pay for a taxi." She moaned.

_"I won't. See you soon_."

"Bye." Zosia huffed.

* * *

"How's the minibus journey?" Jonny asked as he kept the phone between his ear and his shoulder whilst he continued to cook dinner and he waited for Jac to get changed into something more comfortable in the bedroom.

_"Horrible. Dom's snoring, Adele's whining and this minibus does not have heating_." Mo complained.

"How long have you got left?" Jonny asked.

_"We're just passing through Bristol so not long_." Mo yawned.

"Right well I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning on the newly refurbished Darwin." Jonny grinned.

"_Bye_."

Jonny put the phone down before he got two plates out of the cupboard to serve the dinner, he was cooking, on.

"Jac, this is nearly done." Jonny announced.

"No need to shout." Jac protested as she walked into the open plan living room/kitchen and then sat at the breakfast bar where she picked up a chilled glass of wine from the counter.

"This'd better suit your needs because I have been slaving over a hot stove for nearly an hour for this." Jonny stated.

"Mm. Well, it smells edible." Jac replied.

"It's weird being back, isn't it. I mean, we've got hot running water, a nice shower or bath whenever we want it and we've got a delightful double bed to sleep in tonight."

"Plus we're not in Antarctic conditions." Jac quipped.

"Funny."

* * *

"We're back!" Dom announced enthusiastically as he and Arthur dragged their bags into the flat where they found Zosia curled up on the sofa under her duvet and she was watching TV.

"How was the train?" Arthur asked.

"Yeah, it was fine. I didn't get sick." Zosia replied. "Oh there's a chicken and bacon pasta bake in the oven, just turn it on to 180° and it shouldn't take more than 15 minutes to just warm through."

"What? You made it?" Dom asked out of astonishment.

"Yeah, I made a separate one for me without the bacon and I had it earlier." Zosia stated.

"Thank you." Dom bent down and kissed Zosia on the forehead whilst Arthur switched the oven on.

"And we've got cereals, milk, bread and fruit for in the morning."

"Are you feeling alright?" Arthur asked.

"Not really, we've got work tomorrow." She grumbled as she pulled the duvet up to her chin.

"Ugh, and we've been off for two weeks so Ric's bound to bombard us with assessments to make sure we haven't forgotten anything" Dom complained.

"Relax, I'm sure my Dad and Sacha'll understand." Zosia protested.

"Well, I'm gonna jump in the shower quickly before dinner." Dom stated before he disappeared into the bathroom.

"For old time's sakes, can you turn the cold tap on when he gets in the shower to make the water go hot?" Zosia grinned.

"I _knew_ you and Dom were doing that on purpose when I was in the shower." Arthur concluded.


	20. Chapter 20

**Monday 17th November 2014**

After collecting their keys from Guy's office, Jac and Jonny entered the brand new locker room on Darwin and opened their completely empty lockers.

"I give it a week until my locker is filled with crap again." Jonny smirked as he picked up a pair of clean, sea green scrubs from the rack.

"That long?" Jac quipped as she placed her bag down on the bench and selected a pair of dark blue scrubs. "_Please_ let me have a full theatre list." She exclaimed as the pair began to change into their work clothes.

"_Please_ let me have a full theatre list of being your theatre nurse." Jonny grinned. "Oh um, I'll go back to mine after my shift and start packing some of my stuff." He stated. "I won't do all of it until the weekend but I need a few bits for the week."

"Yeah, I'll look online and order you a wardrobe. Unlike the average person, I am _not_ willing to clear out half of my wardrobe for you." Jac stated bluntly.

"Aw, you're such a sweetheart sometimes." Jonny said sarcastically.

"Ah, you're both here early." Elliot smiled as he entered the room. "Have you had a look around?" He asked eagerly.

"Not yet no, we've only just got here but we will do in a minute." Jonny replied as he stood in his scrubs whilst Jac had just stepped behind a row of lockers whilst she was changing into her scrub shirt.

"How was Scotland?" He asked curiously.

"Colder than I thought it'd be." Jac replied as she appeared and placed her folded up shirt in her locker.

"We've now got a fridge in our office by the way." Elliot stated. "And on top of that is a biscuit barrel for us consultants."

"Fine by me, it's always Jac who nicks the good biscuits." Jonny said sarcastically.

"Oh um, I printed out your lists for you." He added as he handed each of them a bit of paper. "We've now got a capacity of 5 in HDU, and 28 patients out on the ward. Plus we now have two theatres instead of one."

"Are you kidding me?" Jac grinned. "We've got two theatres on Darwin now?"

"Yes. I wasn't expecting it either. But, from now on we should have much less of a problem with beating target numbers. In fact, we could probably exceed targets with the increased capacity." He stated. "Of course we will have to sacrifice by sharing theatre nurse Maconie because we both know he's better than Sarah and Sue combined." Elliot said cheekily.

"Oh, trust me if you're fighting over me, I'm going to her. No question." Jonny stated. "Especially since we're living together now." He announced and Jac rolled her eyes whilst Elliot smiled proudly.

"Oh, congratulations." He chuckled.

"Okay, shall we make a start?" Jac began before she squeezed past Elliot at the door and exited the room as swiftly as she could.

"Look after her." Elliot said sincerely. "She's like a daughter and she means a lot to me."

"I will Elliot, she means lot to me too." Jonny patted the professor on the arm before they too left to get on with the day's work.

* * *

"Nice to have you all back." Ric smiled as the three junior doctors, Sacha and Colette walked on to the brand new Keller in their brand new scrubs.

"Nice to be back." Sacha stated. "This place looks great."

"It's a lot more efficient too." Ric nodded. "Now then, Dr March you are with me in theatre in ten minutes, Sacha, Mr Radley in bed four is complaining of lower abdominal pain, headache and nausea. Dr Digby I need you to change an appendectomy dressing in bed seven and Dr Copeland I need you to catch up on the case in bed two and perform the next lot of obs." He explained. "Oh and Nurse Sheward, I believe we're a nurse down today so you're expertise would be greatly appreciated on the ward."

"Good to be back." Zosia sighed sarcastically as she turned on her heel to go and prepare for theatre.

"Whoever treats the least obscure condition cooks dinner tonight right?" Dom whispered.

"Agreed." Zosia and Arthur nodded before they split off to do their individual jobs.

* * *

After paging the woman he loved, Jonny nervously waited in the linen cupboard and had begun pacing when Jac entered and she silently closed the door behind her.

"I wasn't sure if you'd have the energy." Jonny began. "But, I thought we just have to try this new linen cupboard out and make sure it's suitable for our needs." He grinned.

"May I remind you we're due in theatre in twenty minutes." Jac pointed out.

"Exactly, we've got plenty of time." Jonny smirked and before he knew it, they were passionately kissing as towels and bed sheets – whatever they could find to soften their landing – were being thrown on the floor. "I love you." He panted before they both resided to the floor for an illicit rendezvous in the linen cupboard to make love.

* * *

"Hey, some of your washing was mixed in with mine." Dom said softly as he came into Zosia's room where only a dim lamp was on and she was sitting in the middle of her double bed with photos scattered around her. "What're you up to?" He asked as he placed her clean washing on the end of her bed before he went and sat next to her.

"Just putting the photos into this album." Zosia stated as she showed him the front of the custom made album which had a scenic picture of Loch Ness on it and it was entitled: 'Team Holby'.

"Ah, that's why there's no ink left in the printer." He concluded as he flicked through the first few pages that she had filled in. "Despite the fact that climbing that mountain nearly killed me, I actually enjoyed most of the trip." Dom admitted.

"Me too." Zosia nodded. "Minus the high ropes course, and the travel sickness on the way there of course but… yeah, I liked it."

"I'm sure your mother would be really proud of you Zosh." Dom smiled as he picked up the selfie containing the pair of them, Arthur, Colette and Guy that had been taken at the top of Ben Nevis. "You faced your fears with the heights, you were really brave _and _you made up with your father."

"Thanks." Zosia smiled as she leant her head on his shoulder.

"Oh um, I meant to say. A leaflet for that Italian takeaway round the corner that we've ordered from before came through the letter box just now. Do you fancy something from there?"

"You're just trying to get out of cooking dinner, aren't you?"

"Of course." Dom grinned.

"Yeah alright. I'll have the king prawn linguini thing that I had last time." Zosia stated.

"You want a bottle of wine or anything?"

"No, I'll give it a miss tonight."

"Alright, I'll go and order now."

"Dom?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks for cheering me up."

"I didn't do anything." He replied confusedly.

"What you said about my mum, I needed to hear that." Zosia stated.

"No problem. I'll give you a shout when the food is here." Dom smiled before he left and quietly closed the door behind him.

* * *

"I reckon we should make a rota regarding the cleaning, cooking, ironing etc." Jonny suggested as he and Jac sat at the breakfast bar facing each other whilst they ate their dinner of fresh, stuffed pasta and a tomato sauce.

"Like you'd actually stick to a rota." Jac retorted.

"No, honestly I would." Jonny protested eagerly. "If I make a fair rota, will you agree to stick to it?" He asked curiously.

"Only if there's emphasis on the word 'fair'." Jac replied.

"Yeah, I'll make it fair." Jonny confirmed. "I'll do that later. But aside from that, how did you find the new linen cupboard?" He smirked.

"Satisfactory."

"Only satisfactory?" Jonny protested.

"Yeah, there was a cold draft coming in under the door."

"It's alright, we'll get a draft excluder for next time." Jonny smirked.

"Who said there's going to be a next time?"

"Me. Because with you, there is _always _a next time."

"Well as long as there's not a 'next time' for Guy's stupid team building holiday, I'll be happy."

"Agreed." Jonny nodded as he lifted up his wine glass, chinked it with Jac's and then they enjoyed the rest of the evening together.

* * *

**The End!**

**Thanks for reading and please leave me a final review if you could :)**

**I'm currently writing 'Double Trouble' which is a Jac and Jonny story but writing seems to be taking forever recently!**


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